ShedLifeNZ is a New Zealand podcast hosted by Jason Davis out of the Waikato. Each episode he sits down with people from the trades, sport, and business to hear their stories. Episode 11 is his brother Mark.

Mark Davis spent about eight or nine years fixing watches on Queen Street in Auckland before he ever got into building. He trained under a guy called Mark Wild at the Auckland Watch Company, working on everything from Rolexes to watches with real diamonds that he found out the hard way were worth serious money when he cracked the glass on one putting a battery in.

He also stopped a robbery on Queen Street one afternoon. A money exchange operated above his shop and one day he looked out and saw someone trying to wrestle a briefcase off a security guard. He ran out, stopped the guy, and went back to work. About $50,000 in the briefcase.

After nearly a decade fixing watches Mark had enough, packed his dog Jimmy into the four-wheel drive, and drove around the South Island for a few months. He dairy farmed for a season after that with around 650 cows, then got into building walkways for DOC. He spent time on Great Barrier Island putting in swing bridges by helicopter, re-roofed the Pinnacles hut in the Coromandel, did pest trapping for Tims Coast Kiwi Care, kept bees, and eventually found his way into shed building in the Waikato working alongside Paul and Stan at Waikato Sheds.

He also grew up in Devonport riding BMX under the nickname Ewok, talks about the New Zealand BMX scene in the 90s, and his mate Jed Mildon from Taupo who went on to land the world's first triple and then quad backflip.

A lot of ground covered. Good episode.

Listen to the full episode on all major platforms

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncu3UOPbS6E

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72KnBcFkM1r3xm2YyVujJR

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shedlifenz-podcast/id1857464528

iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shedlife-nz-308999038/