Real Learning

FirstChoice

Our FirstChoice programmes builds a culture where customers are the centre of everything you do and how you do it.

Corporate learning and development programmes

FirstChoice

FirstChoice isn’t just about being the top pick; it’s about truly understanding your customers, exceeding their expectations, and building relationships that last. By making your customers the centre of your business, you ensure not only short-term success but also long-lasting growth and success.

What you’ll learn in this programme
FirstChoice is a customer-centric programme, created to empower every member of the team. From understanding the details of the customer base to envisioning an ideal future of customer experience. Throughout FirstChoice, you will foster collaboration, communication, and a deeper understanding of individual roles in delivering exceptional customer service.
Is this for you?
FirstChoice has been created to benefit every individual across the business. Its design aims to provide value and support to all members of our team, regardless of their role or department.

We use a blended approach

Face to face and virtual learning
Micro learning
Performance support tool
Gamification
Coaching

For Leaders

The FirstChoice for Leaders programme guides leaders through an exploration of their team’s current customer experience landscape and helps them envision their desired future state.
Leaders will develop a customer-centric leadership vision and gain practical tools and frameworks to effectively engage their teams and internal stakeholders to consistently deliver a superior customer experience.

For The Frontline

FirstChoice for the Frontline mirrors the leader’s programme, helping the team clearly see why being customer-centric is important to the business.
From there, they experience a series of practical sessions that give them the key skills they need to provide exceptional customer service, like building connections quickly, asking questions with curiosity, listening to understand, and handling escalations.

Kirsty Moffat

People and Performance Manager - Mico NZ

We had a very short timeframe between concept to delivery which meant that we were not in a position to have multiple briefings and check in discussions. I was looking for a team who could take a high-level brief - and then take ownership of how the programme developed, which I knew Heidi and her team could do. I have enjoyed working with Real Learning in their ability to inject fun, humour and engaging exercises into their programmes. Nobody wants to be talked at for two days solid, but often ‘activities’ can miss the mark as well. The Real Learning team not only understood what we were trying to achieve, but they were also able to gain a sense of the “persona” of the audience we were delivering to. As a result, they designed a fantastic workshop based programme with the right balance between serious discussions, some laughter, engaging activities and some quality brainstorming. The programme delivered what we were hoping to achieve, which was a great ‘learning experience’ – but more importantly, a mindset shift and greater level of understanding and commitment towards delivering a truly customer ‘leading’ experience across our network.

Your journey

By the end of the programme, learners will be able to

Get in touch

Module 1

Connect with your customers

After this module, learners will be able to:

  • Identify who their customers are and what they want from them.
  • Explain the current state of customer experience 
  • Describe the ideal future state of customer experience and how the values will help them deliver it.

Module 2

Be better together

After this module, learners will be able to:

  • Understand the roles they play to deliver to their customers. 
  • Understand how they can support each other to deliver.
  • Identify their communication style and how they can adapt it to connect better with others.

Module 3

Get it right

After this module, learners will be able to:

  • Demonstrate mutuality, accountability, and respect. 
  • De-escalate issues when things go wrong. 
  • Work together as a team to deliver a great experience for their customers. 
  • Be authentic and bring their best self to work. 
  • Create commitment to the customer value promise.
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Tauvaga Siolo

Development and Delivery Lead

With over 20 years of experience across the fitness, telco, and learning industries, Tauvaga brings a unique blend of energy, strategic thinking, and heart to helping businesses and individuals thrive.

Of Samoan, Italian, and Kiwi heritage, Tauvaga is grounded in the values of connection, service, and aiga (family). He carries with him the Samoan proverb “O le ala i le pule o le tautua” — leadership is achieved through service — a principle that guides how he shows up for people, teams, and communities.

These values have shaped his leadership journey, from heading high-performing teams as a Group Fitness Manager and National Manager of Group Fitness in New Zealand, to driving innovation and customer-led thinking as a Product and Proposition Lead at One New Zealand.

For over 15 years, Tauvaga has worked as a trainer and facilitator, designing learning experiences that shift thinking, lift capability, and build healthier, more connected workplaces. He has created coaching content, developed high-performing teams, and launched purpose-driven businesses that reflect his commitment to people and progress.

What drives him is creating real-world solutions—for people, for teams, and for the everyday challenges that hold us back. He brings a relational, grounded style to his work and a deep belief that leadership, done well, always begins with service.

Eloise Tzimas

Facilitator / Transformation Coach

Elosie is a seasoned coach with a passion for empowering individuals to unlock their full potential. Eloise specialises in communication skills development, professional and performance coaching, and working with individuals, teams and business owners. With a unique blend of expertise, empathy, and a results-driven approach, she has become a sought-after person for those seeking personal and professional transformation.

Matt Wilmot

Virtuoso Media

Virtuoso Media provides full service video production with in-house creative, scripting, directing, shooting & editing. We produce premium content for filmmakers, corporations and private businesses. Capturing the perfect shot is an art and something we are very passionate about. Our keen eye for composition, extensive experience in production & post-production, and relentless quest for perfection ensures that everything we deliver is of exceptional quality.

Nina Velleman

Bunkhouse Graphic Design

Nina is a Senior Graphic Designer and co-director of Bunkhouse Graphic Design with over 20 years of experience working in the industry. She takes pride in her innovative approach to creative ideas and is passionate about visual communication. As the Graphic Designer for Real Learning, nothing gives her more pleasure than creating collateral that enhances and supports the learning programmes and workshops for greater engagement and understanding.

Frans Plummer

Leadership Coach and Facilitator

Frans natural interest in people led to his academic roots in organisational behaviour, completing his honours in Industrial Psychology. His professional career has been a journey through change-, project-, sales-, and general management for start-ups, NGO's, charitable trusts, SMEs, and multinational corporations. These days Frans spreads his time and energy across business development, life coaching for men, couples, kids, and business teams, dispute resolution & mediation, and training facilitation. Frans is keenly interested in the development of human potential and is passionate about every session being an opportunity for further personal and professional growth.

Zoe Burt

Lead Learning Designer - SAFETY AND WELLBEING

As the Lead Learning Designer – Safety and Wellbeing at Real Learning, Zoe is on a mission to create real, lasting culture change in the organisations she partners with.

With a background in Human Resources and Employment Law, she brings a powerful blend of strategic thinking, creativity, and care to her work. Zoe draws on over a decade of experience in learning design to craft experiences that shift behaviour, influence culture, and deliver meaningful business outcomes.

In her role, Zoe leads the full end-to-end design process—collaborating with subject matter experts, managing stakeholders, and applying best practice in instructional design and learning technologies to deliver impactful, future-focused solutions.

Her recent work includes the design and rollout of enterprise-wide Safety Leadership and Frontline Safety programmes, helping organisations foster safer, stronger, and more connected workplaces.

Zoe also brings a deeply personal perspective to her work. Diagnosed with type one diabetes at age seven, she knows what it means to show up every day with resilience, preparation, and heart. That lived experience fuels her passion for designing learning that goes beyond compliance—programmes that truly support wellbeing, connection, and change that lasts.

To connect with Zoe, reach out at zoe@reallearning.co.nz. She’d love to hear from you.

Charlee Neubrandt

Customer Experience Lead

Charlee brings a people-first mindset and a passion for growth to everything she does. With a background that spans leadership in retail, corporate mental health services, and five years shaping transformative programmes at Real Learning, she’s all about creating meaningful connections that help others thrive.

Originally from England, Charlee moved to Aotearoa 20 years ago and quickly made it home. Her career started in retail leadership before moving into the corporate space, where she worked her way from an administrative role to supporting GMs, doctors, and specialists in mental health and addiction services. These experiences shaped her deep understanding of people, systems, and what it takes to create positive impact.

At Real Learning, Charlee plays a pivotal role in delivering standout customer experiences and making sure every engagement is grounded in care, purpose, and impact. She believes in working hard and living fully – whether that’s through her role, time in the great outdoors, or adventuring with her whānau.

Her mantra? “You only get one shot at life, so make it count.” And she brings that energy to every part of her work.

Getting projects out the door is Charlee’s passion, but she also gets involved with the instruction design and development, applying her background in sales and customer service to the programmes.

Heidi Lance

Director and Head of Learning

Heidi believes learning should feel real – relevant, human, and rooted in what matters. It’s why she founded Real Learning: to create learning experiences that shift cultures, not just tick boxes.

With nearly 20 years of experience in learning and development, Heidi brings a rare blend of strategic thinking, creativity, and care. She has partnered with organisations across construction, retail, energy, banking, and beyond – designing tools and experiences that lead to real results: safer sites, stronger teams, better conversations, and more inclusive workplaces.

Heidi’s work is grounded in values – especially courage, connection, and impact. She’s not afraid to challenge thinking, ask bold questions, or have a laugh along the way. Whether she’s designing a leadership programme, building a board game, or coaching a facilitator, Heidi brings empathy, clarity, and a deep belief that people learn best when they feel seen, safe, and stretched.

What drives her is simple: helping people do their best work and go home safe, well, and proud of what they’ve built – together.

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