But there were enough years between their Kashmere High School days that one of Dan’s old school friends was Tammy’s teacher.
Tammy remembers that he enjoyed Mr. Billings’ drama class, but that he was not necessarily the most well-behaved in the class.
“I was definitely a performer at school,” he says.
But he admits he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.
“I remember in fifth grade, I got really good grades. And then I said, ‘My grades are so good. I don’t need to try.’ So I didn’t try and sixth standard was an absolute disaster.”
“I survived, and I didn’t apply myself academically at all in high school.”
It’s a stereotype that people from Christchurch start a conversation talking about the school they went to.
“Schools are obviously a big deal in Christchurch,” Tammy says. “Schools are closely linked to the classroom, as they are in every city in New Zealand, but in Christchurch, I think, in more ways than in most cities.”
When it comes to money, Tammy says he was taught financial literacy by his parents from an early age.
His father, an accountant, was always quick to remind him to pay taxes on any of his entrepreneurial efforts, such as selling peaches at a roadside stand, delivering papers, or working at a local mall.
Tammy remembers that his partner Mike had musical talent, but he says he also had a knack for maximizing his profits.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever performed in the streets before, but we quickly came up with the songs that made the most money. We knew that certain songs would appeal to a certain demographic that was more likely to give us money.
“We would play Cat Stevens over and over again. We would have a little bucket and when it was full, we would then, when no one was looking, hide that money in our purse, so it seemed like we never had more than a few dollars in the bucket, so people would walk by and give you More money.
Tammy’s mother, a math teacher, made sure his earnings were not squandered.
“From the moment my income became regular, my mother made me keep a balance book, and I had to calculate my amounts every month. The rule was that I had to save 65% of what I earned, and I could spend 35% of what I earned.
“So, I wasn’t wasting all my money. I saved on ‘go’ — in a very obsessive way.”
Tammy has always had a passion for news and says he felt like he had “found his tribe” once he started at broadcasting school in Christchurch.
But he still has a flair for entrepreneurship.
“I try to get into the stock market as others do and have mixed success, to say the least,” he says.
“As a younger person, I definitely had an entrepreneurial streak and it’s funny that if I wasn’t working in journalism, even though my job is fulfilling now, business, commerce and economics are still really interesting to me.”
“I think if I had another career, especially if I was starting out now, that would probably be the direction I would head in.”
Dressage life has changed in recent years. In 2023, he married fellow journalist Mava Moayed before the couple moved in together. This means Tammy is now stepdad to her seven-year-old son, and says she has changed his priorities.
“I still feel passionately about this, which is that for the right stages in life, high-density living is critical in New Zealand. I think for too long we’ve allowed this kind of sprawl and protection of these large spaces with too few people living Especially in the central parts of our city, so I was determined when I came back from New York to get an apartment.
“As I say though, it’s all about lifespan. My stepson is seven. The thing about living in New Zealand is when you’re seven, you want to be able to go out and shoot a basketball.”
He says he also had to consider life insurance and wills as well.
“These kind of things are all things that I’m more aware of now than I was two years ago.”
Listen to the full episode To hear more from Jack about his career and relationship with money.
Money Talks is a podcast run by the NZ Herald. It’s not about personal finance and it’s not about economics – it’s just famous New Zealanders talking about money and sharing some stories about how it has impacted their lives and how it has shaped them.
The series is hosted by Liam Dunne, the Herald’s business editor-at-large. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also hosts and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003.
Money Talks is available on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcastor wherever you get your podcasts.