Lara Northcroft (right) and husband Wetini Mitai at the spot they were married at Whakarewarewa. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Lara Northcroft (right) and husband Wetini Mitai at the spot they were married at Whakarewarewa. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
If there was a PhD in multi-tasking Lara Northcroft would have it, along with an additional degree for organisational skills.
As the mother of a blended family of five, teenage twins included, the owner and sole director of the highly successfully Velvet Stone Media television and film production company, founder and chairwoman of Rotorua's Maori business network Takiwai, Chamber of Commerce board member and chairing Film Central North Island, her life's an on-going balancing act.
Chuck in here that her husband is high profile kapa haka exponent Wetini Mitai and there's even more juggling to be done.
"Because we are both so busy we're often like ships passing."
With so many of the programmes she's taken to air an impressive roll call of TV's "most watched" does this 37-year-old ever get time to draw breath? The answer's an obvious "not much".
From a long line of wahine toa (strong women) she'd see it as letting the side down if she didn't do her bit to instill a strong work ethic and self-pride in Maori women of her generation and those who'll follow.
Her working life began in "hospo" (hospitality), first in Sydney then the Gold Coast, crossing the Tasman as soon as she was out of Auckland's Queen Victoria School.
"Boarding school teaches you independence, I wanted to be independent, being a young woman that kind of work was cool, exciting."
It took five years for the excitement to wane and return "back home", initially working for 'Aunty June' (June Grant) selling art and clothing at her Tamaki Village outlet.
She acquired a partner, Jamie Schuster, together they produced twins, one of each gender.
"The first year's a bit of a blur of nappies and breastfeeding but we had wonderful whanau support ".
A strong work ethic and plenty of passion have seen Lara Northcroft reach great heights. PHOTO/ FILE
When the twins were three their parents separated and Lara was given her introduction to television, working behind the camera for Cardno Productions, later becoming production manager at Hula Haka Productions.
"It gave me a strong grounding working with very good Maori journalists, I fell into these jobs, I seem to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time."
With Maori Television about to be launched Lara's lucky streak continued. She was taken on to work on the administrative side "budgets, scheduling, that sort of stuff".
For a year she commuted to Auckland "but I got too homesick".
Back at home, freelancing for Maori-related programmes followed, but when the twins turned six she returned to Auckland and production work at Blue Batch Productions. "We were doing a lot of docos that's where I found my love for story-telling programmes." Lara's experienced first-hand how tough it is being a solo mum in a big city, close friend, musician Hinewihi Mohi, became her rock.
"Hins was wonderful ferrying the kids around their after-school activities, she has a huge heart, she looked out for me."
When childhood friend Nicola Smith moved to Auckland the pair began to talk of forming their own production company.
"One day we said 'let's do it' so we came back to Rotorua and opened for business, calling ourselves Velvet Stone. Nicola was the velvet me the stone, I guess that's because I'm quite good at making the tough decisions."
Their first assignment was assisting TV Rotorua go to air, that achieved they began pitching programme ideas to Maori Television. "It wasn't going that well until we talked about inspiring women we knew and the idea suddenly came to make a series about them and call it I Know A Sheila Like That. The first profiled was Rotorua funeral director Erin Macdonald (Our People, August 18, 2012).
Backed by the Maori broadcasting funding agency, Te Mangai Paho, the series ran for two seasons and involved more than 100 hours of filming, with Lara producing.
Velvet Stone's first 'head office' was Nicola's Whittaker Rd home. When she returned to Auckland Lara carried on with the company "with a basic staff of three but at times there are up to 20 working on our programmes ."
The company's brief's were wide-ranging, incorporating programmes for Maori TV, tourism promos and production work for the Maori Language Commission, the Culture and Heritage Ministry and Whanau Ora.
Not long after Lara's Rotorua return she 'reconnected' with Wetini Mitai.
"We often try to remember how but can't, it was just one of those things."
In 2011 their daughter, Niwareka, was born "she's the glue that sealed our blended family". Wetini brought two sons into their relationship. In 2012 they married under the Whakarewarewa bridge arch.
"We decided to get married on a Thursday, texted people during the weekend and got married on Monday afternoon. I ordered the dress from the States, it arrived on the wedding day, we had a full bridal party, it looked like it had been planned for months."
Marrying the head sherang of the award winning Te Matarae I Orehu group has reintroduced Lara to kapa haka.
"Wetini talked me into going into his group for this year's Matatini regional finals. I'd done a bit at boarding school but this level was stressful for me, I had to step up and lose my inhibitions. He let me know there [on stage] I couldn't boss him around but that's okay I know how to wear different hats."
Since then Lara's notched up another first - as a judge at this year's business awards.
With her own business the success story it is, she and Wetini are about to launch a joint venture, providing modula accommodation for international airport transit passengers.
"I guess it's always been in my blood to push the boundaries."
Details Born: Rotorua, 1977 Education: Lynmore Primary, Mokoia Intermediate, Queen Victoria Family: Husband Wetini Mitai, blended family of three boys, two girls Interests: Whanau, work, "a glass of wine with friends", kapa haka, cooking shows, TV dramas (addicted to both). "My chiropractor, meditation, natural healing therapies to balance my hectic lifestyle," cabinet making "if I had time". Iwi affiliations: Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao, Tuwharetoa, Tainui Personal Philosophy: "What goes around comes around."
