Ahead of her upcoming presentation at this week’s M9 event, Mavis Mullins reflects on the key factors behind business success.

She shares that for her, Māori values are central to her business’s thriving performance.

“Our parents were sheep shearers, fencers, scrub cutters and us kids were often the ones who had to answer the phone, take messages, run errands,” she says.

“We grew up kind of understanding the needs and the demands of being in business. [These] cultural values actually are the secret weapon.”

Mavis Mullins, a two-time national champion wool handler, serves as the director of Paewai Mullins Shearing. In 2017, she was inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame in recognition of her significant contributions to the country’s economy.

Kia tokomaha ake ngā wahine kaipakihi

Kua roa nei a Mullins e para ana i te huarahi mā ngā kaipakihi wāhine o te motu, me te mōhio tonu, koni atu i te 50% o ngā tūranga poari rāngai tūmatanui, e whakakīa ana e te wahine.

“It’s always challenging when you are the minority, and it was tough enough being the only woman often around those tables, and also being the only Māori,” te kī a Mullins.

“I just walked in as me. [All] you can do is stand in your own mana and be proud of that.”

E ai ki te rīpoata hou a MBIE i tēnei tau, kua tipu marika te ōhanga Māori - i eke te wāriu huarawa a te Māori ki te $126 piriona.

“Farming, fishing, forest used to be our gig. [We’re] also the soil scientists, marine biologist, [legal] advisors and the financial investment people,” te kī a Mullins.

“We’re doing nothing more than moving through the value chain.”

Hei tāna anō, me mataara tonu ngā kaipakihi Māori i roto i ngā whakawhiunga o te wā.

“We have a Government who is quite confused and quite confusing, we have a geopolitical environment that is testing everything. We have climate change. There’s so many challenges right now.”

Te ōhanga Māori - te ōhanga o te anamata

Mullins says the future of Māori economy lies with the next generation and technology.

“The next frontier to me is absolutely AI. It’s the new technologies an our rangatahi embrace it – it’s their world," she adds.

“How do we make sure that we are the enablers for them to do this well, but to also ensure that they never forget the korowai of te ao Māori and the values that sit within it.”

Mullins will join some of Aotearoa’s leading kaipakihi on the M9 stage this week to share her insights on future of the Māori economy.