Fofo

They say the best gift you can give anybody is your time. Well last weekend I took part in celebrating 25 years of leaving the greatest school in the world, De La Salle College.

Sometimes we need reminders of who we are and the best people to do this are the people you spent the most time with in our formative years.

Fear can hold us back from opportunities to connect and build relationships. My mum reminded me that in building relationships there’s always a risk of rejection but we must be willing to step out in faith.

Gratitude Is The New Attitude.

Happy Tongan language week everyone.

This year’s theme is Ke Tu'uloa 'a e lea faka-Tonga 'i Aotearoa, which means Sustaining the Tonga Language in Aotearoa.

Malo Aupito.

It’s an honour to receive wisdom or knowledge from an experienced learner. Its a privilege for me to show a skill or learning to a mature learner.

The challenge is to find a framework that aligns with their problem-solving skills.

Thank you Fletcher Steel for investing in your people and Zeducation for the opportunity to serve our community.

This year’s theme for Samoan language week is sustainability.

The ula (necklace) I'm wearing around my neck symbolizes us as a people. Each of the beads represents us as an individual but when woven or stitched together it represents an aiga or family.

The secret to sustainability for our culture and language in my view is summarised by a phrase coined by Peter Apulu where he states that we are strong as an individual but we are more powerful as a collective like the Ula.

Ia manuia le alo atu i le faamanatuina o le vaiaso o le gagaga Samoa.

The team at Fletcher Steel still smiling after five weeks of Money Confidence training.

This free funded training via Auckland Unlimited’s Project Ikuna initiative facilitated by Zeducation and yours truly Fofo has provided these employees with tools to make better financial choices especially during Covid.

Feedback from one of students:
Setting my smart goal has allowed me to set aside extra money I earnt over Easter and just live on my normal wage. I had to tell my partner no Kmart shopping this week 😫.

As employer’s, what better way can we support our employees than providing them new skills and learnings to make better financial choices?

Get in touch if would like free funded training in digital and financial literacy.

Two years ago I Ubered the director of Zeducation Kalolo Haufano from his farewell party at his previous job.

During this uber ride I learnt who he was, what his passions are and what he’s going to do. Before I ended the uber ride, I mentioned to him about my other side hustle and how I can help him.

Well two months ago he reached out to me and the rest is history with the picture.

My point is that we often ask what the platform can do for us but it’s more how we can use the platform to move us forward.

I drive to practice my relationship building skills, to learn the art of adapting to different levels of people. And lastly, dealing with difficult customers.

I have gained more business out of conversations with passengers in my Uber than any direct marketing efforts online.

How can we get creative with our every day activities to make it more fun and move us forward?

Oh the picture, thank you Kalolo and Zeducation Pasitaua Haufano for the opportunity to facilitate an important initiative by Auckland Unlimited to up skill our Pasifika workforce in financial literacy and Fletcher Steel for supporting its people.

If your workplace would like funded training please get in touch for more information.

Niuean language week reminds us the importance of language to our overall wellbeing.

I felt a bit blah today so I decided to fill my son’s cup with a visit to Ambury farm to see some of natures gifts.

The thing is when we make it about the other person or something else, we quickly forget about our own problems or anxieties.

Happy Niuean language week!

This year's theme for mental health week is take time to kōrero/mā te kōrero, ka ora - a little chat can go a long way.

We are also reminded it takes maturity and wisdom to find beauty in every person.

Let us be bridge builders and not wall builders so we find opportunities to connect, grow, learn and build good mental health and wellbeing.

I’m going to say hello to everybody along my walk today, it might be the only chat they get during this lockdown.