Creating the Opportunities I Was Never Given

33 Week Challenge | Week 5, Day 1. I haven't been posting consistently but back into it again.

People often tell me I do too much… and honestly, it’s actually what’s required to get it done. Alongside being a mum, at any given time, here is a snippet of what I’m doing on the daily:

Writing theatre shows x 5

✅️ Developing the Tangihanga short film

✅️ Recording Life Rewritten podcasts weekly

✅️ Building online programmes x 5

✅️ Creating programme content and facilitator training x 2

✅️ Writing strategic plans for my two organisations

✅️ Working on the strategic development of Maia Dreams and Wahanui Productions

✅️ Doing marketing, branding, promotion, and social media

✅️ Planning national touring logistics with international tours in the works

✅️ Organising travel and accommodation

✅️ Attending meetings and planning committees

✅️ Facilitating programmes in schools and communities

✅️ Applying for funding, writing reports, and securing contracts

✅️ Trying to oversee employees and teams

✅️ Producing and developing songs x 6

✅️ Interviewing people for upcoming projects and shows weekly

✅️ Writing blogs, scripts, resources, and new creative concepts

✅️ Creating and designing programme material

✅️ Updating websites and online platforms

✅️ Preparing talks and workshops

✅️ Developing kaupapa for rangatahi and whānau

✅️ Planning upcoming opportunities

✅️ Serving in my church calling

✅️ Managing constant emails, admin, scheduling, logistics, and coordination.

I think sometimes people don’t fully understand what it actually takes when you’re trying to build things from the ground up instead of stepping into something already built. For a long time, I was the one who wasn’t chosen, wasn’t seen, never really given opportunities, undervalued, but who kept showing up and still got overlooked. I wasn’t handed opportunities or invited into spaces, so I had to build everything for myself from the ground up.

The amount of closed doors, rejection, and “no’s” were immense, but it taught me resilience and grit. That’s where Maia Dreams comes from, where Wahanui Productions comes from, and where all of the initiatives I drive come from. The programmes, the blogs, the podcast, the books, the theatre shows, and the short films I’ve written all came from that place. That’s where my leadership comes from… and I’m still learning how to be one.

That’s also why I wrote theatre shows so I could perform in them, because I was never given the roles I knew I was capable of. And now I’m pushing myself further into short films, film, and TV series so I can continue creating those opportunities for myself, to be seen, to lead, and to step into spaces I was never invited into.

It’s also why I do so many programmes for our tamariki and rangatahi. The Rangatahi Leadership Wānanga, Whakapono, Te Whakapakari, Taonga Mātauranga, Te Mana Whakatipu, and ConfidentMe all come from a very real place. I don’t want our children growing up not seeing their own value the way I once did. Everything I create comes from that place, in the hope that others don’t have to struggle the same way.

There’s strength in that, but there’s also a real cost that people don’t always see. It came from sitting in those moments wondering why it wasn’t me, people telling me I wasn’t talented enough, pretty enough, smart enough, or good enough, and having to push through without the support I wish I had.

I’m grateful that I learned how to create my own opportunities and not wait to be chosen, and that I can now do that for others as well. Over time, I’ve been able to contract, hire, and employ so many people, and that matters to me because I will always offer others the platforms and opportunities I never had.

Financially, I’m not where I ultimately want to be yet, and I can openly admit that. There are goals I’m still working toward and levels I still want to reach that are far more financially rewarding. But when I look back at who I was years ago, I can honestly say there has been huge growth in my confidence, resilience, leadership, creativity, discipline, experience, and in what I’ve managed to build from the ground up.

Despite all of this, I genuinely love the things that I do. I love creating. I love storytelling. I love helping people grow. I love seeing rangatahi gain confidence. I love building meaningful kaupapa. I love bringing ideas to life.

I’m still learning balance, systems, delegation, and how not to carry everything on my own. My top three focuses right now are streamlining my systems, finding and growing the right team around me, and generating consistent revenue and capital. Most things I put my mind to eventually happen.

This year I finally learned I’m not here to prove myself to anybody anymore. I’m obsessive about succeeding and I will not give up. 2026 has been epic thus far, and there is still so much happening.

I’m also a few weeks behind on posting my weekly blogs because life and work have genuinely been full on lately, but I’ll be posting a few over the next few days to catch up.

I’m doing this for me, I’m doing this for my girl, and I’m letting Heavenly Father prevail. Mainly, I’m proud of the wāhine I have become.

#Week4OfMy33WeekChallenge