Join us around the table at Conversations with Friends for a shared dinner by Elie Assaf of Lebanese Grocer, alongside a live panel conversation. We'll explore modern life, wellness, relationships, food and whether our constant pursuit of “optimisation” is actually making life any better.

Somewhere along the way, adulthood became incredibly complicated. We’re tracking our sleep, our exercise and what we eat, while trying to be better partners, parents, friends, professionals and somehow keep up with it all.

But in trying to do everything well, have we left enough space for the things that make life actually feel good?

For our next Conversations with Friends, we’re bringing together four different perspectives to unpack it:

Jo Robertson – Psychologist and host of TVNZ’s 'What Happened to Sex?', bringing a lens on relationships, intimacy and connection, and what our increasingly busy, optimised lives might be doing to them.

Tom Hishon – Chef, restaurateur and co-founder of Daily Bread, bringing a perspective on food, hospitality and the simple pleasure of gathering around a table.

Sophie Burton Hishon – Nutritionist and founder of Golden State, bringing a ‘food as medicine’ perspective to the conversation, exploring wellness, nourishment and the way our pursuit of health shapes how we choose to live.

Isabella Caselberg – Creative and founder of Caselberg Studio, bringing a creative and cultural lens. From ambition and work to social media, taste and the pressure to curate a life that looks as good as it feels.

Over dinner, we’ll ask: Are we overthinking wellness? Have our routines become another form of work? And are we still making enough room for spontaneity, pleasure and fun?