Hello, my dear Frankies!

Before we get into this week’s newsletter, I’ve been playing with a little idea.

I’d love to start featuring an Instagram image of the week in Dear Frankie. Just one beautiful, funny, interesting, weird or simply a very-Franklin photo taken somewhere around our little corner of the world.

It could be a sunrise on the coast, a muddy rugby sideline, a cute café moment, a local event, a farm gate, a beach walk, a shop window, your dog being a diva in the rain…just anything that captures life around Franklin.

The idea would be simple: tag @todearfrankie in your post, or send it through to us, and we might feature it in an upcoming newsletter.

But first, I want to know - would you guys actually like this? Is an Instagram image of the week something you’d enjoy seeing in Dear Frankie?

So...This week, we’re chatting with Debbie about her brand new business, Sula Water, and how she’s managed to build it while raising a family and running a full hair salon. I’ve actually known Debbie for about five years now, and she’s always inspired me with her hard work and big dreams. So it felt extra special to learn more about the life, work and behind-the-scenes chaos that has gone into building both of her businesses.

It was such a good reminder that what can look like overnight success is usually backed by years of experience, training, trialling-and-erroring (is that a word?!), a few tears, a lot of stress, and plenty of moments we don’t get to see from the outside. And to be honest, that makes it even more inspiring.

I just love Deb’s philosophy on life, business and going after the things that matter to you, so make sure you have a read. And check out Sula Water too, because how cool is it that this gorgeous little Waiuku-built business is now shipping all over the country?

See ya out there!

R. and the Frankie Team xx

Winging it, intentionally: How Debbie Woolford built a salon, a brand, and a life she loves

The first thing you should know about Debbie Woolford is that she became a hairdresser partly because a teacher told her she wouldn't be able to talk all day once she was working. "So, I kind of decided that hairdressing would be a good career choice," she laughs.

She started at 15, was running wages and paying business accounts for her mentor's salon by her early twenties, and by 25 was back from travelling - including a stint as a stylist on a cruise ship - and opening her first salon. She sold it when she was ready to start a family, instead running a home salon in order to keep her clients happy. However, the universe had other plans and in 2023 a friend called with three weeks notice: she was moving to Australia and didn't want to close her salon or leave her team without a workplace.

Debbie was pregnant. She said yes anyway.

Within months she had moved premises, merged two teams, and settled Framed Hair into its Queen Street home!

And if that wasn't enough...she then started building Süla​ W​ater. A busienss designing and manufacturing shower filters you can easily add at home, to instantly improve the water you use to wash your hair and skin every day.

The client she never forgot

The seed for Süla had actually been planted twenty years earlier.

Debbie had watched water quality wreak havoc on clients' hair for most of her career...blondes going muddy after a house move, texture changing, colour behaving differently for no obvious reason.

One client in particular has stayed vivid in Debbie's mind. She moved house and suddenly couldn't hold her blonde no matter what they tried; her hair became dry, brittle, thin. Then she moved house again, and it came back lush and thick. Same person. Different water.

It became super personal when Debbie started experiencing it herself. Years of skin irritation that improved when she moved house, cleared up completely when she moved rural onto bore water, then came back when she spent time in Canada. Her hair did the opposite - better in Canada, muddier on the bore water.

"This is when Süla was truly born," she says.

Süla is a New Zealand-designed shower filter that reduces the minerals and chemicals in water that affect hair and skin. Straightforward in concept. Considerably less simple to build.

8pm until midnight, for months!

For four to six months, Debbie worked on Süla from 8pm until at least midnight. During the day she was at the salon, or grabbing time while the baby napped. She was studying. Clint had just started a new job.

"It was a bit crazy if I'm honest. The gym, the washing and housework really took a hit."

Finding the right manufacturer for the shower filters took failed attempts and patience. Cashflow was a constant handbrake - it took around eight months just to earn back her initial investment. The first shipment was delayed by a miscommunication, pushing the launch into the week of Christmas.

"When stuff goes wrong you just have to take a step back, look at what you've got to work with, and make the best of it. There's no point giving up when you've come that far."

What it actually costs

She is honest about what the last few years have cost her too. "It's definitely made me a less present mum at times." But it has also made her lean into her village, and treasure the quieter moments more. "When I'm present, I'm fully present. Phone away."

What keeps her going on the days when the baby has been awake since 4am and her eyeballs are hanging out, she says, is a message from someone who has seen real results. She gets so much feedback from clients and customers who have seem amazing results. But it's the big transformations that really get her:

• The person who had to shower at a friend's house because their water was so bad, can now finally shower in the comfort of their home.
• The one who couldn't put their face under running water because it stung so much, who now does it without thinking.

"I thrive on making people happy and their lives a little easier. That means the most to me."

Winging it, intentionally

When I asked if it feels like she has built a little beauty empire in Waiuku, she laughed.

"It 100% feels like I'm figuring it all out as I go. I honestly just wing it."

Then, more seriously: "I have a deep optimism that everything will work out for the best, and a 'what do I have to lose?' mentality. I never want to have any 'what if I had done that thing' moments."

She hopes her kids see that one day - that you can build anything you choose to put your energy into, if you are intentional about where that energy goes. And that the first step is just that: a first step.

To another local mum sitting on a big idea, wondering if she has the time or headspace or confidence to start, her advice is simple: stop scrolling, carve out some time, and take the smallest possible first step. And when things get hard — because they will — she comes back to something someone told her before her son Blair was born. Nothing lasts forever, good, bad, or otherwise. Soak in the good. Don't dwell on the bad. Live in the moment when you can.

Which, when you think about it, is a pretty good way to build a life too.

Süla shower filters are available at sulawaterfilters.co.nz​

Follow Debbie's beauty empire on Instagram - Framed Hair Salon and Sula Shower Filters​

yhnis rhai

Unscramble the letters above to find the Franklin-related phrase! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

Have you read Coffee News this week? ☕ Pick up a copy in your favourite café or scan the QR code to read on your device!

School Holiday Program - Ohana means Family Matariki Performing Arts is bringing back its popular school holiday programme, Ohana Means Family, from 6–9 July 2026 at Franklin: The Centre. Kids can sing, dance, act, create and perform over four fun-filled days, with registrations now open and spaces limited. More info here​

Planting Day 2026 Join local rangers and volunteers for a free community tree planting morning near at Mauku Reserve, helping care for Papatūānuku and keep Auckland’s parks green and thriving. Bring whānau, friends, water, sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing — gloves and spades are helpful if you have them, but everything needed will be provided. More info​

👉 Want a featured note on the notice board? - Simply book your feature here or just send us a quick email and we'll help you out!

Thursday

🎯 Quiz Night Pukekohe Golf Club | 6.30pm–8.30pm
A fun weekly quiz night at the Pukekohe Golf Club. Check it out!​

🍹 Cocktail Happy Hour Little Ed | 6pm–7pm
All your favourite cocktails, just a little bit cheaper for one hour every Thursday.

Friday

🎨 July Franklins Artist Meetup Franklin Arts Centre, 12 Massey Ave | 10.30am
A creative meetup for local artists at the Franklin Arts Centre. More info here​

Saturday

⛵ Waiuku Coastguard Open Day Waiuku Coastguard, Belgium St | 10am
Come along and explore the coastguard base and learn about what they do. Check it out!​

🌿 DIY Apothecary – Natural Beauty and Cleaning Products Waiuku Zero Waste, 8 Hosking Pl | 1.30pm
Learn to make your own natural beauty and cleaning products in this hands-on workshop. All the details here​

🌟 Matariki Moments Franklin The Centre, 12 Massey Ave | 10am
Celebrate Matariki with special moments and activities at The Centre. More info here​

🔧 DEANZ Repair Café Franklin The Centre, 12 Massey Ave | 10am
Bring your broken items along and get them fixed by skilled volunteers. Check it out!​

🌱 Crop Swap Pukekohe Pukekohe Library | 1.30pm
Bring your homegrown surplus and swap with other local growers. All the details here​

🎵 Pukekohe Vinyl Fair 7 East St, Pukekohe | 11am–3pm
Browse and buy records at this local vinyl fair for music lovers. More info here​

🛒 Tuakau Community Market Central Park, corner of George St and Jellicoe Ave, Tuakau | 9am–1pm
Shop local with a great range of produce, crafts and goodies at this community favourite.

Sunday

🌅 Franklin Country Market Pukekohe Park Raceway | 8am
Enjoy homegrown produce, handmade crafts, antiques, food trucks and live music at this popular Sunday market. Check it out!​

🧘 Sunday Stretch Sessions RxFitness235, 42 Belgium St, Waiuku | 9am
A 45-minute stretch session with The Stretch Collective to ease into your Sunday. All the details here​

🎯 Open Airsoft Game Day 58 Bird Rd | 8.30am–3pm
Jump into an open airsoft game day — all welcome. More info here​

monday

🍕 Kids Pizza Making Class Pizzata, 7a Glasgow Rd | 2pm
A fun school holiday pizza making class for kids. Check it out!​

🧁 Cupcake Decorating Rise and Shine Café, Paerata Rise | 10am–12pm
Drop in and decorate your own cupcake for just $5, plus loads of other fun holiday activities — no booking required.

🧠 Monday Quiz Night Good Home Pukekohe, 65 Edinburgh St | 7pm
A fun quiz night at the Good Home — bookings recommended.

👟 The Wellness Run Club At Your Local Coffee, West St | 5.45am
A welcoming 5km loop run open to all levels, followed by coffee.

Tuesday

🌱 Planting Day 2026 Mauku Stream Reserve | 10am
Get your hands dirty and help plant natives at the Mauku Stream Reserve. More info here​

🖌️ Free Facepainting Rise and Shine Café, Paerata Rise | 10am–12pm
Free facepainting for the kids during the school holidays — just show up!

🏃 STRIDE Tribe Run Club 21 Martyn St, Waiuku | 7pm
A fun, free and pressure-free 3km walk or run for all levels — come for the movement, stay for the community. Check it out!​

Wednesday

🎲 Warhammer 40,000 Taster Sessions (Session 1) Waiuku Library, 10 King St, Waiuku | 2pm–5pm
Free two-part Warhammer 40k workshop for ages 10–16, run by Waiuku Library and Kunning Kobold Hobbies — your ticket covers both sessions. All the details here​

🍺 Malt N Steel Quiz Night Malt N Steel, Waiuku | 7pm
Teams of 2–8 compete for prizes at this popular weekly quiz night — bookings essential. More info here​

🏃 Fire Station Run Club Fire Station Eatery, Pukekohe | 5.30pm
Choose your distance — 2.5km or 5km — with spot prizes and bar menu discounts to follow.

Word Scramble answer: Shiny Hair

p.s. If someone awesome sent you this email and you want to subscribe yourself, sign up here 👉 dearfrankie.co.nz​