Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Getting down to the business of youth

Northland Age
9 Oct, 2013 10:53 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The young people of Kaitaia have been given a glimpse of how they might change their lives, and the world, at a Business of Youth Business seminar.

Organised by Grind Studios founders Dougal and Carolyn Stott, and supported by Far North REAP, the seminar focused on youth employment, education and training, and how whanau, the community and business can support the next generation.

Young people and youth workers heard a range of guest speakers in the morning, followed in the afternoon by a workshop led by the same speakers, addressing Keys to Success - a how-to-guide, identifying intrinsic drivers, putting passion to work and matching goals and passion.

Speakers included Matt Brown, founder of My Fathers Barbers, and Jade Hohaia, youth manager for Sustainable Solutions (Raukawa Charitable Trust and Tokoroa social sector trials).

Ms Hohaia, who has worked in youth development in Christchurch and Tokoroa for almost 15 years, said the main initiative in Tokoroa was the establishment of a youth hub, a place for the town's young people to socialise, find help with school work etc.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Since the opening of the hub, in tandem with other initiatives, Tokoroa's youth crime rate had fallen 85 per cent.

"It's not rocket science. It's about giving rangatahi something to do that they enjoy," she said.

She demonstrated the concept of pursuing a passion about looking at the people on bank notes, from $5 to $100.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"These are five people who used their passion to change the world," she said, adding that, "The next Apirana Ngata might be in this room right now.

"The world is bigger than Kaitaia; get out there and discover it."

She then donated the notes towards the cause, as an investment in the future of the youth in Kaitaia.

Matt Brown, founder of My Fathers Barbers, a barber studio based in Christchurch which has been in business for 18 months, said he had styled the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and Savage. He had travelled around the world, styling and conducting workshops for stars such as Jay Z and Pharrell, NBA All Star players and companies such as L'Oreal Paris.

He flew to Kaitaia from a six-week working holiday in New York.

Matt's story was one of hardship, growing up with an alcoholic father, gambling mother, family abuse and attempting suicide. "Nothing's going to change until we start talking about it," he said.

His salvation came when he went to live at Restoration House, a home for troubled boys. It was there that he finally felt wanted and loved, and developed a desire to help other men.

He began working from his shed at home, cutting his mates' hair at first until word began to spread, via social media and word of mouth.

He saved for his first set of clippers, and it had "taken off from there".

He was about to open his first barber shop in Christchurch, and now mentors apprentice barbers, choosing men with "passion over talent".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Listen to your heart, your passion. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart," he said.

Meanwhile he promised to "support this kaupapa for at least the next three years".

"We are investing in our youth here in the Far North," he said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

Far North news briefs: Foodbank closes, focus on vape harm, and kai resilience boost

02 Jul 05:00 PM
Northland Age

On The Up: Youth gym transforms lives, offers more than just exercise

02 Jul 12:00 AM
Northland Age

'Planting a future': Whānau unite for river restoration project

02 Jul 12:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northland Age

Far North news briefs: Foodbank closes, focus on vape harm, and kai resilience boost

Far North news briefs: Foodbank closes, focus on vape harm, and kai resilience boost

02 Jul 05:00 PM

News snippets from the Far North.

On The Up: Youth gym transforms lives, offers more than just exercise

On The Up: Youth gym transforms lives, offers more than just exercise

02 Jul 12:00 AM
'Planting a future': Whānau unite for river restoration project

'Planting a future': Whānau unite for river restoration project

02 Jul 12:00 AM
‘Heart and soul’: Miss NZ finalist champions mental health journey

‘Heart and soul’: Miss NZ finalist champions mental health journey

01 Jul 12:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP