It all started with learning how to weave a contemporary tāniko earring! This i found challenging weaving such a small fidgety taonga. My dreams of becoming a master weaver on my first day at a local free weaving wānanga was not my destiny! But when the class completed a pair of these earrings, i was only able to complete one single earring, I still felt a sense of huge accomplishment when I finished and totally loved the outcome. I suddenly had a vision of the panels I created and wanted these to be a taonga for all those who want to weave our Māori patterns. Especially those who cannot weave and say they are not crafty or artistic!

I went away and had a tutu (muck around), with all kinds of materials that took hours and months of frustration because it wasn't quite working out how I had visioned. Finally, I found a fabric that would never fray, nor would easily fade and can be reusable! Once I finished the first product I was satisfied. I launched my first 100 kitsets and I was sold out within 6 hours

I then decided to take my product into a wānanga space. I grew up with my great grandparents who instilled me with Te Ao Māori. I grew up connected to all my homes, Pōneke, Te Tairawhiti, Taranaki and Te Waipounamu. I had journeys of being in wānanga spaces throughout my life, and I grew hungry to learn and connect more. I have learnt from some humble and inspirational mentors in my life. These lived experiences influenced me to design a wānanga to mana enhance, empower and enrich people. To help Māori connect and re-connect to Te Ao Māori, and for non-Māori to connect to our Māori culture. I have worked in Kaupapa Māori Spaces for over a decade, Māori mental health, Whānau Ora, Family Start and then become a manager. Working in these spaces has taught me that bringing communities and people together is important, and I add this in my wānanga. It is part of our whakawhanaungatanga. Meeting people in your community, connecting with others from the same iwi, seeing old childhood friends, gathering as a whānau and even connecting and meeting new relatives.

After months of preparation before my first wānanga, a community Te Reo Māori class, who all were different ethnicity's, I went home and did my first video content before I went to sleep. I shared it across all my social media platforms to wake up to hundreds of emails, private messages and comments from people enquiring from around the country. It took me the week to work through them all, and I was booked out for that entire year.

Within the 2 years of providing my kaupapa, I have heard thousands of beautiful feedback on how this has made them feel. Some are even emotional, but in a beautiful way. I provide a safe space for everyone to share their stories and we all learn about each other. My Poutama tukutuku wānanga helps change peoples mindsets for the better, and these are the rewards for me.