Nik GreggNik co-founded Sustainability Options with his brother Phil over a decade ago when they decided to showcase what 'business for good' could operate like, and how it may just be the recipe for sustainably conscious business development; A for-profit organisation that is driven by purpose. Nik's corporate management background, experience as a national HPA (Home Performance Advisor) trainer, and a number of complementary accreditations in the housing performance space have positioned him as an expert in this sector. He is the talker and the dreamer of the Sustainability Options whānau, passionately and enthusiastically sharing what's happening in the space, how things are going, and what needs to happen next. Nik's mahi is rooted in the intention to share the Sustainability Options kaupapa and mahi with everyone who needs to know about it.
Get to Know Our Crew
A service-driven organisation will only ever be as good as the people in it, so we take great care in selecting the very best to join our work whānau. Our team is the reason we can do what we do. They are compassionate individuals who have come together to carry out purpose-driven mahi.
'Keeping the fires of passion burning': The 4 day work week
A message from our co-founder Nik, explaining the why of our 4 day work week.
"One of our team members asked me to write about our 4-day work week journey. This response is probably more than she anticipated. So please feel free to click 'more' if you’re interested in the full explanation.
The 4-day work week… It’s a journey we have been taking over the past two years.
Question: what would your levels of motivation, passion and energy be like if you could choose ‘how you worked’ on the 5th day of every week?
Imagine if you had one day each week to:
Research those things you don’t normally have the time to research
Catch up on those things that are really draining you mentally
Care for those whom you want to care for more
Spend longer at the gym
Yoga to recharge your energy
Long walks in the bush
Catching up on some of those domestic challenges that are plaguing you in the early hours of the morning
Upskilling and improving your knowledge in an area that you are interested in
Or just simply having the time to do some deep thinking about how things could work better?
This is where our imagination is leading us, as we seek to discover how flexibility around our 5th working day can help us serve others better.
More
To describe our journey as a 4-day work week is a bit misleading. We all work 5 days, but how we work the 5th day is up to each of us to determine, with the purpose of the organisation in mind, and the goal: ‘to be inspired and not tired’. The objective is: to put first those we are seeking to do good for, and to be totally committed to this.
Like all good journeys, it’s helpful to know how you are tracking. With this in mind, as a team we have come up with simple ‘success’ indicators :
Gratitude – does our 5th working day flexibility fill us with gratitude, or has it become just another day? It’s really important to us, that our 5th day flexibility is always a privilege that we feel grateful to have. If we lack gratitude, then we lack motivation.
Energy – at the beginning of the week are we inspired - not tired? Are we passionate and positive? With these attitudes, we can be more compassionate, caring, committed and serving.
Curious – it’s an odd measure of success, but in a world where we are soooo busy, we lose the inclination to be curious. Curious about the needs of others, our fellow work colleagues and how they are doing, and how we could do better. Having the 5th day flexibility gives us space, freedom and time to be curious.
Committed – having one day a week of complete flexibility is such a bonus, as we can now try to do the many things that we want to do! This drives us to be super committed on the 4 days where we are working together. We are super committed to meeting all the needs and requirements of helping others in 4 days, so that on our 5th day, we can have the freedom that the flexibility allows.
Trust – this measure of success focuses on trusting one another. Having a flexible day to choose how you work needs trust.Trust in your teammates, your choices, being accountable to one another, and being there for the people we want to help."
Our Team
"SO is a group of people committed to something bigger than ourselves or the fulfilment of our own needs. I work here because we are all driven by the same goals - which are to help those who need help and to fight against inequity."
Jo
"I came to work for SO because I feel we are making a positive difference in people's lives. We are not the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff but rather in the prevention zone e.g. helping people avoid ill health and hospitalisation and helping people to be more sustainable with their energy use."
Rachel S.
"When I started working I wasn't driven by specific work or a specific job that I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to be able to have a positive influence on people's lives and be able to help people. Sustainability Options has provided me with the ability to do that."
Caleb
"I see us as a company that helps whānau by offering them a hand up, and not a handout, which can be tricky when you love helping people because you just want to give, give, give! But the way we are approaching it is enabling whānau to take charge of their own journey."
Jessie
"It is awesome to work for an organisation that genuinely cares about helping people, in a way that builds capacity and leads to sustainable change. I love that our mahi takes a holistic approach – sustainability doesn’t mean just one thing. I am very grateful that in my comms role, I can hear and share the journeys of whānau and their stories, to inspire other whānau."
Caitlin
Phil GreggPhil co-founded Sustainability Options alongside Nik in 2012. The passion for a new business venture with a sustainable lens came from having kids and reflecting on the world they are growing up in. Phil is an accredited Home Performance Advisor, has been trained in 'warrant of fitness' development, and a member of EMANZ. He has also had a crack at building a few sustainable homes! He has a talent for coming up with solutions and supplies that will enable the team to make sustainability improvements in the community. He is constantly engaging with other businesses to donate or repurpose seconds or damaged goods. Phil's primary passion within Sustainability Options is providing environmental sustainability advice, helping home owners work out how to sustainably use their resources and money.
Jo WillsJo is a member of the lead team at Sustainability Options. She has been involved in sustainability for over 10 years, focussing on business, energy, transport, and housing. She has been an advocate for the relationship between social equity, environmental quality, and urban well-being for a longtime, being involved with Trade Aid, is trained in The Natural Step, and is in community groups and movements towards these outcomes. Alongside her dedicated mahi with Sustainability Options, Jo is the co-founder of the Home Performance Advisor (HPA) training programme. Jo splits her time between assessing the needs in homes, identifying repairs, and sharing home performance information with occupants - She loves showing wāhine how to use a power drill!
Lee SiegleLee is the fourth member of our Lead Team, overseeing our repairs and maintenance mahi. She has a background in public health and environmental sustainability, and a passion for helping others and fighting inequalities. She moved to Aotearoa from the States in 2017 and quickly noticed how cold our houses are. Lee joined Sustainability Options to help build our repairs and maintenance programme and move us towards our vision of 20 Degrees. Now as a member of the Lead Team, she supports other members of the team to deliver to our commitments, ensures whānau outcomes, and maximises our ability to achieve more.
Cath de MonchyCath is our operations manager at Sustainability Options, focused on keeping people and systems running smoothly. She has a background blending legal and compliance expertise with a deep passion for environmental regeneration. After 15 years in tertiary teaching (immigration law) and professional practice as an immigration adviser, Cath switched focus to project management and sustainability—managing a constructed wetland development and championing resource recovery mahi in the Bay of Plenty. As the founder of Precious Plastic Tauranga, Cath demonstrated circular economy principles in practice, collaborating with the Remaker Space and various environment centres, artists and entrepreneurs across Aotearoa. Cath has used her leadership skills at the governance level, serving on the boards of Zero Waste Aotearoa and Bay Conservation Alliance. Outside of work, Cath has enjoyed years of sustainable living on a lifestyle block with her four boys. A passionate and slightly quirky crafter and woodworker, Cath designed and project managed her home build, doing much of the finishing over the years, including building the kitchen. Whenever possible, you'll find Cath out tramping, exploring the bush and mountains, or launching into the waves at the beach.
Rachel ChapmanRachel is a registered social worker, an unregistered Learning Disability nurse, and a Home Performance Advisor, making her a powerhouse within our home assessor team! She has worked in health and disability social work in both community and hospital settings. She has been working within the Healthy Homes Initiative for five years through Western Heights Health Centre before joining us a year ago at Sustainability Options. Rachel is really passionate about her Rotorua community, the wonderful services and opportunities for connection, and how she can bring these to our whānau.
Rachel SmithRachel is one of our superstar home assessors with a real attention to detail! She wants to ensure we are helping whānau as much as we possibly can and isn't averse to providing a thorough home assessment and report to guarantee that happens. Her education background makes her a natural at journeying with whānau to improve their understanding of how to make their whare warmer, drier, and healthier.
Shane EvansShane is a member of our outstanding assessor team, he visits whānau and journeys with them to help create a warmer, drier, healthier whare. Shane is an easygoing, compassionate guy which helps him to connect with whānau and services that we can tap into to provide a wrap-around of services.
Angela GeevesAngela is another valued member of our dedicated assessor team. With a background in ESOL teaching both overseas and here in Aotearoa, she has recently completed a Bachelor of Health at Waikato University. Through her studies, Angela gained a deeper understanding of the various factors that impact the health and wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities. Angela is excited about her mahi as a Home & Health Assessor, working alongside whānau and the wider team to assess and share knowledge on how to get whare warmer, drier, and healthier.
Shirley MaxwellAs the Scheduling Coordinator, Shirley ensures everything runs smoothly behind the scenes at Sustainability Options. She manages the schedules for our assessors and coordinates the repairs and maintenance team, making sure jobs are completed in the whare of the whānau we journey with. With a keen eye for detail and strong communication skills, Shirley keeps everything on track, supporting our mission to create healthier, warmer homes for whānau.
Melanie WhiteMelanie plays a vital role in our repairs and maintenance programme, as the logistics coordinator. She maintains and strengthens relationships with contractors and suppliers, ensuring that minor repairs get done efficiently and effectively. With a passion for helping whānau feel warm, comfortable, and safe in their whare, Melanie is dedicated to bringing the assessors' action plans to life. She has a background in policy, a Bachelor's in Indigenous Politics and Aotearoa History, and a Master's in Public Policy. Her commitment to helping others is at the heart of everything she does - we call her Miracle Mel for a reason!
Ian SybersIan is our go-to for repairs and maintenance mahi. You'll find Ian carrying out repairs around the whare to ensure it can hold in the heat, and keep out the damp - be this repairing, changing, painting... anything we can do to help, Ian will be doing it!
Teagan GreggTeagan is another valued member of our repairs and maintenance team, always out in the community making a difference. Whether he's hanging curtains, installing rails, draught-proofing, or delivering supplies, Teagan implements practical solutions that help whānau have warmer and drier homes. With a positive attitude and a smile, he's always happy to go the extra mile. Teagan is also eager to share his knowledge, keeping things simple and straightforward for the families we support.
Jessie VennJessie is one of our top-tier hub coordinators! She works closely with Caitlin receiving all referrals and reaching out to whānau as the first of many contacts along our journey together. Jessie strengthens relationships with our referrers, so they have all the information they need to refer whānau that would benefit from our support. Within the team, Jessie breaks stereotypes wearing the Health and Safety hard hat whilst holding the jester's marotte!
Caleb GreggCaleb is our data analyst. He creates a story of our mahi through numbers and data so we develop an understanding of our efforts and impact on a bigger scale. His ability to work with our whānau data means we can communicate the areas of need, and evaluate our progress towards our vision, and goals. Whether we need to look into one type of support or one common whānau grouping, Caleb is able to create a report that shows the impact of our mahi in that area.
Caitlin OgilvyCaitlin plays a key role in communications and research at Sustainability Options, while also supporting Jessie with referrals. With a background in quantitative market research and socio-cultural research, Caitlin has worked with a wide range of public sector clients. She uses her expertise to carry out in-house research, gathering case studies, conducting surveys, and analysing data. Her work ensures that the voices of whānau we journey with are heard and highlighted across various communication channels—whether on our Facebook page, Give A Little page, printed materials, or right here on our website.
Gareth PheloungGareth is our newest kaimahi, joining the team as a home assessor. He has a genuine passion for helping people create living spaces that support their wellbeing. He brings hands on experience as a qualified builder and a people first approach. He enjoys working with whānau to identify what’s holding back the performance of their home. For Gareth, a healthy home is about more than bricks and mortar. He believes that when a whānau has a healthy whare they can thrive and reach their potential. He is also passionate about helping people reduce their energy consumption so that they can have lower power bills and use less resources.
Our recently departed kaimahi...
Terry OrmsbyWith a strong background in Warehousing Management and Property Management, Terry brought us a wealth of experience to his role as Healthy Home Assessor. He values the role of education in empowering people to make informed decisions about their homes, and he’s committed to helping whānau achieve a healthier living environment.
Amy JallaguierAs our previous Team Manager at Sustainability Options, Amy was a strengths-based, purpose-driven leader. She provided support and guidance to the team with a whānau-centred approach, ensuring everyone feels valued and empowered. Amy took pride in helping her team excel and achieve the best outcomes for whānau. For Amy, team happiness is key – when the team thrives, she thrives!
CONTACT US
Phone:
07 544 1882
Mobile:
022 156 1027
022 497 2529
Email:
20degrees@so.org.nz
Address:
59 Seventh Avenue, Tauranga
F.R.O.G.
Forever Reliant On Good
We operate by being forever reliant on good - doing mahi for the good of others and for the good of our environment. Along the way, hoping we inspire others to incorporate the FROG into their organisation too.