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Wednesday, February 1, 2023 Wairarapa Midweek

Māori in Business SUPPORTING MĀORI IN BUSINESS

Inspire Living

Encouraging and celebrating diversity Inspire is a great name for this multi-faceted business which offers a broad range of trade services under one roof, making home renovation and building a seamless and rewarding experience. To inspire is to embolden, enliven, encourage and to energise, and that’s certainly what Tavita and Jessica Isaac have done for many in Wairarapa in the past decade. They have built up a company, Inspire Living, to around 30 employees. This band of people includes 10 apprentices, 30 per cent women and around 60 per cent of Māori/Pacifica descent. Tavita is proud to point out this diverse mix. It’s not just culturally based but whānau oriented. There’s a father and daughter working together, siblings, and couples included in the team mix. It’s important to Tavita and wife, Jess that their business encourages people to enter the trades and that they represent present day society. Its whānau-based atmosphere makes for a great congenial workplace. The team is youthful too with the average age in the mid-20s. It makes for great vibrancy. The company includes six office-based people and there are five different trades on offer, plus one full contract bathroom renovation service. Their in-house trades include tiling; masonry; internal plastering; painting and Rockcote – the latter being an exciting new service. Rockcote by Resene Construction Systems can transform any flat internal or exterior surface by adding a textural coating. Their Rockcote team, led by foreman

Richard, are licensed applicators and have the vision and knowledge to customise unique finishes. “As a group, we are stoked that we encourage those wanting to learn a trade and support them as they navigate their early careers on the tools.”, says Tavita, whose personal trade qualification is as a tiler. The trades opened up a career path for him and when he and his wife, began a family. Formerly he was in hospitality.

Back Row: Staci, Jamie, Taylor, Mikey, Wero, Paige, Chris, Tihemi. Front ROW: Joseph and Peter.

Be respectful, work hard, and give the heart

Growing within the job

Father/daughter duo, “My Dad highly Pio and Staci are a perfect encouraged me to example of how life in get a qualification. the trades can inspire Looking at the upcoming generations various skill sets, tiling to also pave a path in the appealed because of its industry. Pio is skilled in both ability to be so creative. plastering and painting The look of gratitude on clients’ whilst Staci is doing her Pio & daughter, Staci faces when they see the result painting apprenticeship. They are both keen and key parts of is wonderful.” Taking his dad’s advice was Inspire Living’s decorating division and a good move and from there, he and Jess add another dimension to Inspire’s decided to make a further step and create approach to whānau culture. their own business. Their desire to encourage others and create a positive team spirit has had an overwhelming impact attracting many to want to work for Inspire. “We’re all going in the same direction and that certainly helps in today’s business world.” Having a wide range of trades to call on within the one company means it can take on multiple projects, large and small, and they can all be catered for simultaneously. Each trade has a team leader. When another trade outside their sphere is required, Inspire uses the same trusted contractor to ensure the seamless progress.

The unique Tokelauan and Samoan values that the two hold, such as Pio’s modesty and humbleness, is admired by the wider team. Whilst Staci is new to her painting career, her attitude towards learning and the friendly approach to teamwork is highly valued by the group. Born and raised in New Zealand, Pio believes that the cultural values he was taught by his parents have been embedded in his everyday life. He was taught to ‘be respectful, work hard and give the heart’ – a mantra that many Tokelauans live by.

Max Telford, one of Inspire Living’s senior tilers, is excelling within his trade and setting himself up for ongoing success in the future. Joining the company in 2017, he is now a highly skilled and qualified tradesman, juggling multiple jobs and junior team members. He is a perfect example of one who has been personally rewarded by taking an offer from Inspire Living to gain a skill. After starting his young family with his partner Alisha, life in the trades became the ideal career path to support his whānau, whilst being able to work in a hands-on environment with plenty of opportunities to work on jobs both large and small. Originating from Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, an Iwi in a remote part of Gisborne, Max has grown and learned to bring his cultural values into the workplace. From the viewpoint of his colleagues his approach to teamwork, Max Telford respect for others, and general collectiveness is a key part of his success within the Inspire Living crew.

To join our Māori in Business group please contact us today kiaora@mibwairarapa.nz or korero@mibwairarap.nz

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