I have a lot to catch you guys up on since the last time I wrote a blog!
Back in July, I had a hysterectomy after pretty much a lifetime of suffering from extremely heavy bleeding. It was something I knew I wanted once we were finished having tamariki, and I feel really fortunate with how quickly everything happened.
I went onto the public waitlist and three weeks later, I had a surgery date.Recovery was six weeks, although I’m still taking my time and letting my body adjust. I’ve finally started walking and exercising again, I’m back at mahi, and it feels good to slowly get back into everything.
The kids are doing really well too. I’m very grateful to have sporty kids, although nobody warns you that sporty kids are also very expensive kids 😂.
We’ve had Warriors development trials around the country, volleyball nationals prep for another one, and our oldest has now got his driver’s licence and is away playing league at nationals.
Basically, someone always needs to be dropped somewhere, picked up from somewhere, fed, or driven halfway across the country. But I’m really grateful. They’re good kids, they’re focused, they work hard, and watching them chase the things they love makes all of the running around worth it.
Mahi has been really busy with school visits and working with rangatahi, which I genuinely really enjoy. Waiapu Road has been busy too, which is always a good thing!
Working full-time while running a business has definitely been something new to juggle. I’m really grateful for the team we have around us because they make it possible for me to do both without feeling like I have to be everywhere all the time. We catch up often, everyone is doing really well, and I feel really lucky to have people I can trust with something that means so much to me.
We’ve also had some pretty amazing things to celebrate lately.
I won Indigenous Designer of the Year 2026 at the Global Beauty Awards, which still feels a little crazy to say. I genuinely didn’t expect to win, so I’m incredibly grateful and really proud of myself too. I think sometimes we move on to the next thing so quickly that we forget to actually stop and acknowledge the things we’ve worked really hard for. So this one is definitely being celebrated.
September was a huge month for Waiapu Road. We released our first tri-colour Moko-Puna Shirt and you guys went absolutely crazy for it. It went viral and ended up becoming the most units we have ever sold of one single product in more than six years of business. That is HUGE for us. Especially because, if I’m being completely transparent, it’s a scary time to be in business. The economy is tough, retail is tough, and we’re seeing businesses close all around us. Like so many other businesses, we’ve had to adapt and think carefully about what we release and how we operate.
Another really special kaupapa I’ve been lucky enough to be part of recently is the Wear Kindness campaign with the Kindness Collective.
This year, eight designers came together to create limited-edition tees, with all proceeds going towards helping whānau in need this Christmas.
It was such an honour to be asked to be part of it. Giving back has always been important to me and to Waiapu Road, so being able to contribute creatively to a kaupapa that will make Christmas a little brighter for families in need felt really special. A beautiful kaupapa, and one I’m really proud to have Waiapu Road be part of.
And to finish it all off, we decided to pay it forward with Koha Kawhe at my local, Kapai Cuppa Teina.
Times are tough, and sometimes a beautiful coffee is all it takes to brighten your day. Every Monday & Tuesday, while cups last, your Kawhe is on us.
A small gesture of paying it forward to our beautiful community, while also supporting a local whānau-owned and operated pakihi that we love.
The support Waiapu Road continues to receive is something that will never be lost on me or our team. Every single order means something, especially in the current climate, and we’re incredibly grateful that people continue to choose to spend their hard-earned money with our little pakihi.
Our summer collection is currently in sampling. We’ve adapted our releases to suit where things are at and are creating smaller, more considered options rather than huge collections. But what we do have coming is exciting, and I can’t wait to start sharing it.
I’ve also been thinking about something a little different.
I’m looking at starting some beginner and scaling business workshops and sharing some of what I’ve learnt over the past six years. How I started, the mistakes, the practical stuff, and all the things that can make starting a business feel way more complicated than it actually needs to be.
I really want to break business down into a language we all understand and hopefully make that first step feel a little more achievable for someone who has an idea but doesn’t know what to do next. More on that soon.
So that’s a little bit of life lately. A lot of mahi, a lot of sport, some really big wins, a body that I’m still learning to be patient with, and a business that continues to surprise me after more than six years. And before the year is over, I have one more little thing up my sleeve.
I’ve been planning something special for our customers as a thank you for continuing to support us. I’ll share more about that next. 🤎