WEBVTT - EP 31 - Noeleen Tuala 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:03.279 It's the Flavor Podcast Network. 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:07.640 Island Roots Auckland Ways. This one's for the Brown brothers 0:00:07.680 --> 0:00:11.080 and sisters who want to be one with themselves, their culture, 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:13.480 their identity, their roots. 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:19.280 This is Island roots Auckland Ways. So look, we love everyone. 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:21.040 Welcome back to Island Roots Auckland Way. 0:00:21.720 --> 0:00:24.200 Hey girl, how are you? 0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:26.880 We were just singing with you? Use some songs off mike. 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:36.360 Up. Honestly, that such a good song. A banger. You 0:00:36.520 --> 0:00:38.680 are really snorting today. 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:41.720 I can't have it when I laugh. Speaking of I 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:45.720 believe that children are our future. 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:49.960 Oh my gosh, your ways. 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:54.840 Is no link not billy baby. 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:59.840 Yes, so they sell baby products, so think of raps blanker, 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:06.600 I think like play mats, those kinds of things. Here, girl, 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:10.840 I don't know what babies use, but they need a lot. 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:12.200 Wait do you want a baby? 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:13.040 You? 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:13.640 So do? 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:16.360 I would you do if I came into the Flavor 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:18.679 studio tomorrow and I was like, maes, I'm pregnant. 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:22.880 I I'd be happy. I'd be happy for you. I 0:01:22.880 --> 0:01:28.760 don't think they'd I want to be shocked what I 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:29.560 want to be shot? 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:30.839 Off? 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:33.520 Age? Now? How old are you? 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:36.000 Twenty four? Like? 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:38.240 Yeah, let's just I don't. 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:42.360 Know anyway, Let's chat with Nolan was so lovely and 0:01:42.400 --> 0:01:44.440 we can't wait for you to get into it now. 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:48.960 And welcome back to Alan rootz Auckland Ways. On the 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.920 podcast this week we have superstar Mama business owner and 0:01:52.040 --> 0:01:57.760 south Side Queen, Queen of Rework. Do you know about Welcome? 0:01:58.800 --> 0:01:59.360 Thank you? 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:02.040 Well, how are you feeling today? 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:05.040 I feel really good, actually nice. I'm so glad to 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:05.880 be here with you guys. 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:09.240 Yeah, well, we are very blessed to have you in 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:12.600 the fal and Alsa's gonna take the. 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:16.079 Reins now absolutely, I'm sure you already know. But every 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:18.240 week we have a little segment called what we Love 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.720 about Home. Basically we can just boast about the great 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:23.320 things about our home, whether that's back home in the Islands, 0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:25.320 whether that's home and Money, dinner, the two six seven, 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:28.720 or what ever feels like home to us. But Mas 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.440 will start us off, Maz, what do you love about home? 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:30.880 This week? 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:34.240 I must the water of some more, Oh my gosh, 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:41.480 healing blue, crystal clear, warm like when you get into 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:44.760 the sea and some more. It's not like freezing cold 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.080 like it is here in I feel because you know, 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:51.079 New Zealand is very close to Antarctica's the designs behind it. 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.320 I don't know. Why do you look at me when 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:54.919 you're there? 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:03.680 Yeah, of the ocean and some wore I miss it dearly, 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:10.280 one of my villigious and which is where man was, 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:15.520 and so I very much miss just swimming, girl. I 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:18.280 haven't gone for a swim since I was that's crazy. 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:22.120 The last time using for a swim. 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:24.400 I don't even I wouldn't swim in the beaches here 0:03:24.440 --> 0:03:26.520 in Auckland, to be fair, I wouldn't even know, like 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:27.560 it's been that long. 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:30.560 Summer, like back in the summer. 0:03:31.639 --> 0:03:34.079 Yeah, well that's not I don't even think I swam 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:38.120 during summer. Sometimes when I'm on my little runs, I 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:41.480 will take a dip, okay, just for the lull. But 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:46.680 I always am checking like this is it like swim 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:48.960 sing yeah, to make sure like it's the green light, 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:52.160 because if it's a red light, to stay out. 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:55.440 All black, I think it islack. 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:59.840 Girl, okay alert, Damn it's disgusting anyway, what I love 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:03.400 in this week speaking of my runs, Yesterday I was 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:06.760 out on a run around money dealer and I was 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:09.520 just like, oh, the potanical gardens are so beautiful, Like 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:14.120 I love this kind of like it's not un untouched, 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.040 but I feel like we forget about how you do forget, 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:18.880 Like we are literally in South Auckland and the potanical 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:21.880 gardens are right there. Though I will say I did 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:24.440 do a stop off at South Mall and I Another 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.400 thing I love about home is like those really bad 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:30.440 quality six State five T shirts that like the Chinese 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:31.000 shops out. 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:32.120 I love him. 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:34.760 You make that twenty dollars off that T shirt like 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:37.760 it's such terrible quality, but I eat it up every 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:42.040 time you have to take my money. I have several Wow, Yeah, 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:43.920 I love them. I think they're great. 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:45.760 Okay for one special. 0:04:45.920 --> 0:04:46.200 Yeah. 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:48.800 Also, I had someone approach me in sophomore yesterday. I 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:50.480 wear a running vest when I go for my runs. 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:53.200 He thought it was like a bulletproof fist and he's like, 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:55.080 where'd you get that vest from? I want one to 0:04:55.120 --> 0:04:58.360 cut my weapons, and he wanted it for his weapon. 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:00.680 Good old I was like, yeah, I'm not telling you where. 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:02.719 I'm sorry. 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:08.960 Oh my gosh, because you are so the girl to 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.080 look like a gangster and. 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:14.479 Like a right like top on, like bright pink shorts, 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:18.960 my silly little pink running shoes. Yeah, definitely selling something 0:05:18.960 --> 0:05:24.400 out of Baby, What do you love about home? 0:05:25.320 --> 0:05:31.000 I'm from Rera as well, good old, but actually it's 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:34.280 it's the neighborhood like this week because we've just been 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:37.080 doing it like a like boring old things like deep cleans, 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:40.960 you know, home, but the neighbors like we get constantly 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:43.200 we get missss from our neighbors like across the road 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:44.840 and a bit further down because we live on a 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:49.039 small street, just letting us know, oh hey someone someone 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:50.760 came to your house today, Like do you know them? 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:54.800 You know, as this person related to you, like they're 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:58.920 looking out for and it's a sense of community, which 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:01.120 is so good because again we live on this little street. 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:04.479 But I think just the connections you know, that you're 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.360 making in your neighborhood. Yeah, yeah, like if you if 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:09.279 I've seen you at southwet Used today because I was there, 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:14.320 I would have been hey cut. But yeah, I think 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:17.599 that definitely for me, it stands out very proud to 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:21.159 be and rewhere, have the neighborhood around you and just 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:22.240 making the connections. 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:25.880 It's almost lost that neighborhood connection. Eh. I feel like 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:28.440 back in the day, like we used to sleep over 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:31.160 at our neighbors there, used to be barbecues. 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:32.320 And it used to be safe to do so, like 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.919 we used to ride our bike school like walk to school. 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.880 Yeah, everyone going between everyone's houses pecking. 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:40.839 But now I'm just like my son's like can I 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:43.120 go to my friends? And I'm just like, what's the address, 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:46.920 what's the mom's phone number? Like who's going to be there? Yeah? 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:48.680 But yeah, thank god for little streets. 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:50.880 I live on a little street and I can vouch 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.440 for that sense of like neighborly community. But I feel 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:57.120 like those is it, those Facebook grape mind pages were. 0:06:57.040 --> 0:07:00.080 Really neighborhood pages. Oh my god, I. 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:05.040 Hate this one for real. Yeah, and it's all just 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:10.440 like this is a stray dog music down. 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.720 Man. Well, Noline, billy Baby continues to grown so much popularity. 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:21.160 Tell us about how you started up Billy Baby. 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:26.320 Well, I have five grandkids and my grandson Writer was born, 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:29.760 and I actually went looking for I really wanted a 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:34.280 pacificate blanket and I found one in Australia actually, and 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:38.520 it arrived and I was just so disappointed, like the quality. 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:40.840 You know, you buy something online and you see it 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:42.880 and it looks pretty and it's good, and then it 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:49.080 arrives and it's just Cocker. Yeah, but I was so 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:50.960 pissed off, Like I was pissed off for my not 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:53.120 only myself, but I was pissed off for our people 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:57.360 who were buying these blankets because I was like, like, realistically, 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:00.440 who was going to like make the time to send 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:02.480 it back email them, like send it back to Australia, 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:05.960 wait for a reface, so you're stuck with it. And 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:08.520 that for me, I think was like that was the moment, 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:11.640 like it was the defining moment when I was like, Okay, 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:14.800 this is literally what I meant to be doing, you know, 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:18.720 because growing up it was always as a brown girl, 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:21.560 I would always look at the shopkeepers and I would 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:25.040 think to myself, what makes them so special? Or why 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:26.920 do they get to own a business or why can't 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:29.720 we own a business? And it never went away, like 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:32.880 what into my twenties, Like I would take my husband 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:35.400 and get him to drive me around to the rich areas, 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:39.200 you know, call it the rich areas, and you know, 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:45.319 I'd look at these nice houses and I'd say, yeah, it. 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:50.000 Was botany, Okay girl, I think it was like Pam. 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:54.800 Like outside of South. 0:08:56.480 --> 0:08:58.600 Yeah, and he would just I would like I would 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:02.640 be like, oh, you know, what job do they do? 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:03.640 Tell me what job they do? 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.560 Like making up stories to the harm owners, like what. 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:08.840 Job do they do to be able to afford this hut? 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.280 So they've got two cars, recent. 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:15.079 Model's house, you know. And then my husband would just 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.560 look at me like you're crazy, Like what is wrong 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:23.880 with you? But then yeah, and it never went away 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.080 until I launched feel it Like I always knew that 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:31.040 I was meant to do something, you know, something special, 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.480 but I just didn't know what it was until that moment. 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:37.960 Was your career background related to business before setting up? 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:41.640 I really have no business background at all. Okay, and 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:45.400 I have been an executive assistant for so many years, 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:48.600 so that's my background. But no, I don't hold any 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:52.520 business qualifications. I didn't finish high school. Like I'm literally 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.760 just a mom and a nana from Oh my gosh. 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:57.560 That's really cool though. I feel like some of the 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:00.959 most successful businesses that that I've heard of, like the 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:04.680 people I've connected with, are the ones where you haven't 0:10:05.600 --> 0:10:09.679 maybe you've not realized that you you don't have the qualification, 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.360 is what I mean, Like you don't have that kind 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:14.200 of like background where they're like, this is what you 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:17.480 need to do this to be strategic, Like I think 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:21.080 this real value in like building a community through your 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:23.840 business or like building it from the ground up and 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:26.440 figuring out what works for you and then what doesn't. 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.800 I definitely agree. I think even you know, even before 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:33.840 I started, like the whole process, but to launch, I 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.080 was like, you know, you get inside your head and 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:38.920 you're like, but do I have any money? Like where's 0:10:38.920 --> 0:10:39.319 the money? 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:39.760 Yeah? 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:41.600 Do I need these qualifications? 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.400 I guess that's the doorstop for heaps of people wanting 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:47.480 to launch businesses. I don't have any capital, there's anything 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:49.600 in the bank account to try and start this. But 0:10:49.920 --> 0:10:53.320 it's about lived experience, eh. And so obviously you're you're 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:56.199 a mom, you're a grandmother too, and so you're using 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:59.000 all those experiences like buying that blanket that was like 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.800 the light switch moments. 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:04.200 Like that was it And I had no capsule, like 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:07.920 I think I have like five thousand dollars in the 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:10.120 bank and I just made it work. And I think 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:12.720 that's why it's so important, like when I get asked 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:16.240 to share my story and wherever that wherever that might be, 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:20.080 is for people to understand that you don't need these 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:23.040 qualifications you don't need to be this person who's been 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:25.920 in business for fifty years, yeah, to make like to 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:30.440 start your business and have it become successful. Which yeah, 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:34.120 I just think that's that's where people that's like you said, 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:37.160 like it's the draw stop. It's like that's what stops them. Yeah. 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:39.320 I just think that there's so many things that go 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:40.800 into it. Yeah. 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:43.440 Absolutely. I feel like one of the New age things 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:46.000 that has gone into business is social media. And I 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.040 feel like, girl, you're one of our biggest fans on 0:11:48.080 --> 0:11:51.240 social media, and I love that for us. How did you, 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:53.839 I guess at what point we like, I really need 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.160 to start using social media as like a mechanism to 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:57.200 get my product out there. 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:00.600 I was I wasn't even on Instagram before Billy, like 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:08.439 I was on Facebook, okay, but that was where like 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:10.839 because obviously my kids are older now, like that older 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:14.640 like twenty seven and down. Okay, So just doing the 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:18.400 research and realizing that that is where a lot of 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:22.439 the market are sitting, like on Instagram, and that's how 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:24.840 I started. Like, please don't go back through my old 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:28.920 pictures did I have because you will clearly see the difference. 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:31.600 But yeah, I just you just learn as you go 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:34.840 like right, like you said, also like it's all a 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:37.640 learning curve. You learn as you go and you get 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:38.280 better and better. 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:42.040 Was there like a period of time like can you 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:44.840 like put your finger on It took the slog to 0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:46.800 get baby up and running. 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:49.840 Yeah, it took me a year because I had no 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:53.920 I had no financial backing, Like I literally jumped onto 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:58.000 Google and I was like, blanket, where do I buy 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:02.680 a blanket? Can I buy horse blankets? And it took 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:04.920 a good year because I didn't know that there were 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:07.880 other businesses out there that could help guide me. Like 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:11.959 by the time I found Pacific Business Trust, I was 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:14.320 already seven months into my planning, like I'd already had 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:18.000 my product. I had no idea they existed, because how 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:20.160 do you know if you if you don't know, like 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:22.120 if you don't see them on social media a lot, 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:25.000 because they went on social media a lot. And then 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.120 but thank god I found them because I just needed 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:30.360 a soundboard to tell me that I'm on the right 0:13:30.400 --> 0:13:33.720 track and if I've missed anything, and they will fight 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:35.200 like they were perfect. They were like not, You're all 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.040 good to go. And then I had no money left, 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.120 so I had to figure out how to build a 0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:43.439 website from scratch, and I'm just like, like I don't 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:45.839 have like an it bone in my body, Like this 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:48.199 is the last thing I want to do. So it 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:49.920 took me about two and a half months to build 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:53.160 the website and then a few weeks later we launched. 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:57.760 Ah wow, it was Oh, there were so many tears, 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:00.880 Like it's crazy to think that I'm here now after 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:04.360 that first year of just planning to launch. Yeah, there's 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:06.840 so many things, but I only wish that there were 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:11.480 like people out there that everyone knew where the guidance 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:14.080 was okay, yeah, you know, or even if I knew 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:16.360 of another pacificate business that I could reach out to 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:19.480 while I was doing it. Yeah, because just there in 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:21.440 itself that you just want to give up because it's 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:25.440 it's so hard to just do that yourself. They'll support. 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:28.960 That's like one thing that with the podcast, that support 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:31.120 is so important, Like we have each other and I'm 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.760 so grateful for that, But so many small business owners 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:36.800 it's literally just you and then maybe like your family, 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:40.520 has there been people for you on your journey, whether 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:42.520 they were there right from the beginning or you found 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:44.440 them along the way that you've been like oh, Thank 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:45.480 god I have you lean on. 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:48.600 I'm more obviously my family's there. Yeah, well they can't 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:55.080 go anywhere even if they want to, so they were 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:58.160 always there, you know if I need anything. But I 0:14:58.200 --> 0:15:02.440 think like I have found Danika Cooper Jewelry. Danika there 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:05.480 husband and wife and as soon as they meet them, 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:09.160 like I just clicked out they're in our Nation and 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:13.800 collective store. Yes they're based out Eastockland. But just having 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:17.920 like meeting that couple and they we just vibe like 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:22.520 we are on the same path, completely different products, but 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:24.440 we're on the same journey and we can sort of 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.800 feedback off each other. We saw all these ideas and 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:31.360 to have someone who is going through it as well 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.440 is so important. Otherwise you just ended up alone and 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.040 then ended up going crazy. 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:42.280 Were you working full time alongside starting up the business 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:43.480 or what was your situation. 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.520 I'm still working full time? Wow, yeah, so only recently 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:53.000 I got to girl, it's crazy, like I only recently 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:56.400 I got to drop to four days, so I still 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.800 work full time for a community housing provider, so the 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:02.840 nights are still there. Like obviously, every single day I'm 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:05.080 praying that you know the day's going to come when 0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:08.040 I can just resign and run Billy full time because 0:16:08.040 --> 0:16:09.840 this is this is my passion, right, this is what 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:11.800 I want to do, this is what I am destined 0:16:11.840 --> 0:16:14.960 to do, or you know, that's how I feel. And 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:17.920 my job's great, Like, don't get me wrong, but it's 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:18.840 just not where my heart is. 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:19.440 Yeah. 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.680 Yeah, So the late nights are just still there, like 0:16:22.760 --> 0:16:24.960 I'm just like I'm trying to keep up. 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:30.000 Yeah yeah, what is your why beyond? You know that 0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:34.280 really a quality blanket? Like what is the thing when 0:16:34.320 --> 0:16:36.200 it's like two am and you're like, oh, I really 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:38.520 don't want to keep, Like I part of you is 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:40.000 like I kind of want to quit a little bit 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:41.960 right now. What's the thing that keeps you going? 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:45.640 Like I could say, you know, I want to say 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:49.520 my family, because showing them what can be achieved, like 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:51.520 if your dreams come true and the hard work that 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.920 you put in, the sacrifices will be worth it. But 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:58.000 more than that, I actually think it's it's actually the 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:00.920 community that Billy have built. You know, they might they 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:02.840 might think that just a customer to me, but I 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:06.200 literally like I see them as family, Like I would 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:10.040 not be here sitting here today without them, Like I don't. 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:14.360 I don't think they realize just how much their support, 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:17.160 you know, means to me as a small business owner. 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.800 So that's my push and because for me, I have 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:24.040 like I just feel like, Okay, these products have done well, 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:27.520 Like there are so many more things that we could do, 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:30.840 like Pacifico designed and things like that that I have 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:32.800 on the go, and I just can't wait to share 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.920 them with everyone so they can, you know, continue to 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.040 immerse their babies and their culture, you know, by wrapping 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:43.040 them in a blanket or whatever it might be, because 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:44.639 you know, to some it might just be a playmate 0:17:44.720 --> 0:17:46.720 and a blanket, but it means so much more than that. 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:52.000 You know, you're actually celebrating your baby's culture and immersing 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:54.720 your baby and their culture from day one. Like that's 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:58.159 crazy to think that that's that they want to do 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:00.040 that as well, and they feel the same that I 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:00.320 I do. 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:05.520 Yeah, it's nice to know that option is out there, 0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:09.520 because I want to say, maybe even like ten years ago, 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:13.000 there weren't these options for our Pacific babies and so 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:16.920 you'll just get your stock standard wrap for your baby. 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:22.160 But I've seen on Instagram heaps of Pacific families proudly 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:27.280 showing off their products from Billy Baby and other businesses 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:31.440 like yours. And it's like those little things. Ah, especially 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.200 if you're a mum when you're preparing for your above, 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:38.000 you know that your baby will be dressed in the culture, 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:39.640 so to speak, and they want. 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:42.000 It like you know, because I obviously get started because 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:44.760 I because of the blanket for my grandson, and I 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:48.399 want to do that by just seeing like I just 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:50.960 seeing the number of other people who want to do 0:18:51.040 --> 0:18:54.399 that too. You know. It always blows my mind because 0:18:54.600 --> 0:18:57.160 obviously the things that I design and that I love, 0:18:57.800 --> 0:18:59.600 you know, I don't love them because it's going to 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:01.680 be great on the market, you know. I don't make them. Sorry, 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:03.040 if it's got to be great on the market. I 0:19:03.080 --> 0:19:06.000 make them because I actually genuinely love them and want 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:09.320 to you know, have my grandkids have them. But for 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:13.560 people to love them just as much. Yeah, it's crazy. 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:15.480 The number of people like it always blows my mind. 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:21.040 It's so small. Speaking of culture, I want to ask 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:24.359 you about your relationship with your culture. So tell us 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:27.479 about your cultural background and how that relationship has been 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:28.960 over the years. 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:32.400 So my dad is Simon and my mum is half 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:36.960 tongue and half Irish growing up, you know, the culture 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:40.679 was there because I feel like I've always been proud 0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:42.919 to be an islander, because that's just what you know, 0:19:43.000 --> 0:19:44.680 Like you don't know any different, you don't know whether 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:47.679 you have you have an option to feel any different. 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:50.480 But the culture, I think, is a whole different thing. 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:53.560 Like I could read up on the history of Somemore 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:57.200 or the Kingdom of Tongue. But if I'm not in 0:19:57.240 --> 0:19:59.760 the culture and immerse theon and have someone there with me, 0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:04.000 then you know, does there even complete the whole picture. 0:20:04.640 --> 0:20:07.640 So when my dad, my dad passed away in twenty ten, 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:11.159 the year he passed away before I got married, so 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:14.640 the same year and just and when he passed it, 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:19.400 I realized that for me the culture had almost been 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:22.440 lost as well. You know, it's hard to put into words, 0:20:22.520 --> 0:20:26.040 but just like obviously I'd love to have them back here, 0:20:27.000 --> 0:20:29.800 but for my kids and my grandkids not to have 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:33.320 the presence there, you know, for him to tell stories 0:20:33.440 --> 0:20:35.520 and you know, stories of the islands and how he 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:37.679 grew up and all these other stories, it's not the 0:20:37.720 --> 0:20:41.760 same if I tell them. So the culture did get 0:20:41.800 --> 0:20:44.240 lost on me a bit. But the beautiful thing about 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:50.040 Bella is that I didn't actually realize how far disconnected 0:20:50.080 --> 0:20:53.040 I was from my culture until Belly came in and 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:56.360 then you know, it slowly reconnected me, which is such 0:20:56.400 --> 0:20:59.560 a beautiful thing because my kids and my grandkids now 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:03.560