Vezz’s Journey - What the heck is a personal brand?

26/03/2026

Somewhere in your team, there’s a future superstar… stuck in the front row when they should be in the backs.
Most organisations aren’t short on talent.

They’re just playing people out of position.

If businesses were coached like rugby teams,
some of our hiring decisions wouldn’t even make the bench.

Coaches arent fixated on whether
you played this exact position before

They look at how a player:
• reads the game
• handles pressure
• uses their strengths

Because in rugby, you pick your best players then you work out where they fit.

Beauden Barrett is a great example!!

Different jerseys. Same impact.
Why? Because his game translates!

That’s capability.

But in business?

We default to:
“Have you done this job before?”
“Do you come from the right background?”

Safe questions.
Comfortable answers.

Average outcomes.

Because here’s the truth:

Hard work matters.
But it only pays off when you’re in the right position.

Even the hardest-working player looks ordinary in the wrong jersey.
Put them in the right one — different story.

So when teams struggle with:
• the same people carrying the load
• shaky decisions under pressure
• work falling over when it gets complex

That’s not a people problem.

That’s a selection problem.

No coach leaves a great player on the sideline
just because they haven’t worn that number before.

So why do we?

Maybe the better question is:

“Where would this person play best — and are we brave enough to back it?”

Because capability travels.

And when you actually back that —
you don’t just get performance.

You get a team that can handle the big moments.

15/03/2026

Verity Hikairo

11/03/2026

There are times when the path forward isn’t flashy or loud.

They’re not the moments people usually post about.
They’re quieter.

Moments of consistency.
Of showing up.
Of choosing to keep moving forward, even when the future isn’t fully clear.

For many leaders, these seasons become powerful teachers.

They build resilience.
They build humility.
They build the capacity to stay grounded when things are complex or uncomfortable.
Because leaders who have navigated uncertainty often lead with deeper perspective.
They listen with intent.

They support with care.
They understand that everyone carries a story — not all of it visible.

Over time, those challenging seasons don’t define us by what we endured, but by what we developed.

Steadiness. Perspective. Compassion.

The kind of leadership that holds people, purpose and whānau at the centre.
Resilience. Whānau. Leadership.
Verity Hikairo

10/03/2026

Honestly don’t know how you pit up with me mlove!! but ill take it anyway.. No give backs! hahaha Verity Hikairo

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

08/03/2026

So here’s the real question.

At some point in your career…

Did work quietly become responsible for more than it should have been?

For things like:

• motivation• identity• purpose• feeling valued• feeling energised

Most people don’t realise it’s happening until something shifts at work.

And suddenly the impact feels bigger than expected.

So I’m curious.

When did you notice the shift?

1️⃣ When work became your identity
2️⃣ When you realised life needed to be bigger than your job
3️⃣ Still figuring it out

08/03/2026

Time for a quick vibe check: Are you treating your job like a toxic ex and expecting it to be the sole source of your happiness and energy?

08/03/2026

Seriously. Faculty said I couldn’t handle nursing school as a mum. Family members said I didn’t have the brains my brother or mum had. Even my dad, bless him, said, “You’re a bushman’s wife — you can’t do nursing.”

At the time? I was gutted. I’d hoped someone, anyone, would have my back. But instead… doubt became my fuel.

I’m stubborn as hell. Nobody’s going to tell me what I can and can’t do. I turned every “you can’t” into energy to keep going. Some days, when assignments felt impossible, when bus rides and daycare drop-offs had me drained… I just did it. I had no choice. I’d already invested too much. My kids were counting on me.

And you know what? That stubbornness became my superpower. Every doubt thrown my way just pushed me harder, helped me prove not only them wrong… but also myself right.

Nursing school wasn’t easy. Pregnancy, sleepless nights, juggling four kids, study stress… it nearly broke me sometimes. But it built me too. It taught me grit, persistence, and that my life experience mattered just as much as any textbook.

TikTok only gives you a taste. Here, you get the full story of doubt, determination, and how I turned everyone saying “you can’t” into fuel that powered me forward.

07/03/2026

Why climbing the ladder Isn’t always the answer

07/03/2026

This is something I put together at the end of my secondment in my GM role at NZs largest business.

Lots a rawness, self reflection and vulnerability here.

06/03/2026

What does a leader look like?