Professional Pasifika

Navigating my career has felt like a chess game — strategic, unpredictable, and full of hard pivots. Every job I pursued, every setback, and every decision has shaped the direction I took.

As a Pasifika professional, I’ve been challenged in many ways. What drives me is the importance of seeing more Pasifika representation everywhere. I’m not only motivated by my own growth, but I see how vital it is to show others that we don’t have to accept the box or path that is given to you.

These are some of the lessons I carry:

Small Fish in a Big Ocean

Every chess player knows when the board changes — and I felt that shift hard. I went from being in a small town where I felt like I was leading, to a big city where it felt like my starting line was metres behind everyone else.

After university, despite admin experience, strong grades, and extracurriculars, I ended up applying for anything and everything— from supermarkets to admin to agencies. I tanked interviews. I still remember being asked, “Tell me about yourself,” and nervously oversharing — starting with my parents’ story, my schooling, and every irrelevant fact in between. To this day, that question is quite the trigger.

Eventually, I landed a role in a management consulting firm. Not in marketing — but as a Business Support Officer. It was a great place to network and observe Consultants in their element. I picked up great knowledge about the industry and positioning - still, I felt like as though I was seen as admin, not as a recent marketing graduate.

I promised myself back then that I would only work in marketing in every industry and in every space. I wanted to learn as much as I could so that I can one day consult and create opportunities for other bright minds like mine. I moved to Australia at the end of 2016 to begin that journey.

Growth Mindset

Like chess, every move in your career has to be intentional — you don’t advance by accident. I recognised that strategy is at the forefront of everything. I needed to be more deliberate and intentional. Every choice has a cost, and each phase brought different versions of me to the surface. I’ve come to mark those changes as part of my personal and professional development.

The switch for me happened when I realised that because I was demotivated in my work, people began to treat me as though that was me in all areas of my life which was far from the truth. I had to decide whether I wanted to stay still or grow. I sought out leadership advice, refined my systems, found mentors, and applied critical thinking to every process. It took time to find my rhythm, but I got there because I was adamant about becoming the best version of myself.

The Diversity Hire

Sometimes it felt like I was just a pawn in someone else’s game — useful, but not meant to reach the other side. At times, I’ve felt pressure to play the “safe” version of myself — the comedic, warm, easygoing one — just to make others feel I wasn’t a threat. I tried to blend in like everyone else but I could not ignore the feeling that I was also burdened by stereotypes about Pasifika people.

I’ve been overlooked. I’ve felt unheard. And for a while, the only way I did feel heard was by adjusting myself into a version of what was acceptable. I no longer do that anymore.

Accepting Less as More

There are moments in a game when you realise you've been playing defence too long and that was me in conversations about pay and opportunity. Negotiating salary and opportunities is already hard — but even more so for Pasifika professionals, especially women. Pacific women are statistically among the lowest paid in both Australia and New Zealand. I’ve seen how this attitude plays out in the workplace.

There is a heavy “you should just be grateful” energy that hangs over conversations about pay which has cultural stems about worth. I believe that’s why I care so much about creating spaces where Pasifika people can move in alignment with their worth — and begin to only accept more from the outset.

Rejection or Redirection

Every career setback felt like a lost piece on the board — until I realised some of those rejections were strategic redirections. My mother would say, "everything happens for a reason," and although I didn't fully believe it at the time, experience taught me otherwise. Being turned down for opportunities has helped me refine my positioning and taught me how to play the long game.

Not every workplace would have allowed me to grow and that insight became critical. What I needed wasn’t just opportunity, but alignment. We need more culturally anchored support led by Pasifika, for Pasifika — that helps us map out meaningful moves and recognises how important it is to have a strategy from the beginning. We need better game plans, better mentorship, and sharper strategy.

A Rebrand

The biggest wins come from looking at the bigger picture and strategising or rebranding. Rebranding isn’t about logos or titles — it’s a mindset shift. You set the terms for how you would like to be perceived and what path you want to take in this world.

For me, the rebrand was internal before it ever became external. It meant challenging how I saw myself, changing the way I made decisions, and recognising the power of how I show up.

I want every Pasifika person to know that you do not have to wait for permission to evolve. You can start at any stage of your journey and you can continue to do so - as many times as you like.

Get in touch if you’d like to talk through your personal brand strategy or next move.

Go well.