I left my corporate legal career to immerse myself into my Māori culture and reconnect with it after the passing of my nanny and the birth of my first daughter Eva, now 12. I found a passion for rongoā Māori — Māori forms of healing — and launched my first brand making kawakawa-based skincare.

After years studying rongoā, I learned all about how different periods were for my ancestors than they are for us women today. For them, periods, otherwise known as ikura or te awa atua, were a sacred tapu time where the women were celebrated and nurtured. I wanted to create a product that was in line with this.

When we were happy with our prototype, we used Kickstarter to test the market. We made our target within 24 hours. From there, we grew rather organically and quickly, expanding our range and including matching bra sets so that women can feel sexy and comfortable while also taking care of business down there.

But we see our purpose as so much more than period undies. We are on a mission to reindigenise periods for people all over the world. For us, that looks like breaking down those old stigmas associated with periods, and educating women on the importance of taking rest on their period.

With Awwa, I created a movement instead of a business, staying authentically Māori and staying agile enough to pivot and change quickly when something isn’t working. I go with my gut and my heart a lot — if it doesn’t feel right, I won’t go there. There are constant challenges every day. Some are little, some are huge. Part of being a successful entrepreneur is making peace with there being little challenges most days.

I have learned it does not matter how brilliant in business you are, there will always be stress. But daily meditation and yoga have helped me cope much better, ensuring I am taking adequate rest and getting really smart around not letting negative, toxic people into my circle. I have also aced my supplement game!