A bloody good yarn: the power of an origin story 

Wayne Atkins, Lance Paoro and Joe Harawira were boyhood mates who grew up in Whakatāne.

In 2019, reunited at a New Year’s Eve party, they were reflecting on how they didn’t get to see each other enough, and Harawira mentioned the pineapple kombucha he was drinking tasted nothing like pineapple.

The solution to both problems? They’d start a business together creating a new non-alcoholic drink as a way to stay connected.

It’s a very Kiwi origin story for their Wai Mānuka brand – about mateship and a plucky New Year’s resolution-come-true.

Harawira recalls how the business idea took shape as they got talking that New Year’s Eve.

The first problem to solve was the kombucha. What would make a great alternative for a special occasion non-alcoholic drink?

“We knew it would be an export product, destined for the world stage. And one that would celebrate New Zealand and Māori culture, leveraging off mānuka honey’s global reputation.”

“But the main reason for creating the business – probably the biggest one at the time – was we wanted to create something that would help us stay connected as friends.”

Articulating your ‘why’ lies at the heart of every startup’s origin story and “we found our why straight away”, says Atkins.

“We didn’t see each other as much as we wanted to, and we wanted to be closer. It was about much more than us making a drink.”

In the new year, the three mates-turned-business partners swung into action.

They were still in pre-production on their first bottles of Wai Mānuka – a combination of mānuka honey, lemon and sparkling water – when the fledgling business was invited to supply the 36^th America’s Cup in December 2020.

Media loved the story of the chilled-out entrepreneurs, and TVNZ’s Seven Sharp was first to follow them through a banter-filled workday. (You can watch the clip, which has clocked up 477k views, here.)

Other publicity saw them featured in Air New Zealand’s Kia Ora magazine, and an ad campaign for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). A short-format documentary, Three Māori Boys Go Global, was produced by NZTE and screened on Whakaata Māori.

Even now, Atkins and Harawira have people approach them and instantly connect over it.

“I feel like we’ve got so much support because of the origin story,” says Atkins.

“People were really rooting for us. It’s especially strong in Whakatāne, but everywhere we go, we get the big ups. I think a lot of people see themselves in us, because of who we are. We’re not the suit-wearing guys … we’re the jandal-wearing Kiwi Māori boys.”

Their larger-than-life personalities and indigenous product story made an inspiring combo. As Rangi Ririnui, who leads NZTE’s Māori investment team, says in the documentary: “From the moment I met them, I knew they had a great idea, and they had the right personalities to make it a reality … Everyone wants to know the story behind what they’re eating or what they’re drinking. And Wai Mānuka has that story.”

Plot twist

In October last year, three Māori boys became two, when Paoro exited the business, selling down his stake. Having never worked fulltime in the business, he chose to focus on his own career endeavours.

Marketer Jesper Poulsen, who’d been involved as an adviser, took a 16.67 percent shareholding, while the remaining co-founders hold the rest. The business name was tweaked from Three Māori Boys to The Māori Boys.

From a brand perspective, Poulsen keeps a low profile, while the other two co-founders remain the frontmen. While a change of founder is not uncommon, how does it affect the origin story?

“It hasn’t changed,” says Harawira.

“It’ll always be a poignant moment in the history of Wai Mānuka, particularly for New Zealanders.”

But he says a bigger story has evolved, with the brand now taking on its own mauri. The business also needs a story that adapts to different markets, and cuts straight to the chase.

“These days it’s more about the product and the people who’re consuming it,” he says.

“The origin story won’t necessarily resonate with an urbanite in New York City, or a buyer in Singapore. What will hook them in are things like the design, the brand values, the healthy nature and quality of the ingredients.”

A true constant for the brand, and its founders, is the deep connection to their kaupapa Māori principles. To support their own knowledge, Atkins and Harawira seek advice from Māori advisers. And at a personal level, Atkins is guided by his father, a kaumātua on the East Coast (Ngāti Porou).

“He’ll give me the raised eyebrow and go, ‘okay boy, so what are you trying to express here?’. He’s proud of what we’re doing, but he’s also my gauge. He always says, ‘make sure you remember who you are, and where you’re from’.”

Almost three years on from that New Year’s Eve, inspiration, Wai Mānuka has expanded domestically through grocery, hospitality and event channels and has small-scale exports to Tokyo. Following a trade mission visit to Singapore, Harawira says they plan to develop that market and provide a springboard to Southeast Asia. He is currently meeting with potential seed-stage investors to provide runway for the next two years. 

How to craft your own origin story

Jody Boshoff from Launch PR specialises in helping startups tell their stories and one of her first challenges is overcoming the typical humble-Kiwi approach. She reminds clients that being a founder automatically puts them “on the hero’s journey”.

“The world is interested in the Kiwi founder story, and as a small nation, we have a David-and-Goliath story from the beginning. Kiwi founders are incredibly smart, they just need to learn to talk about themselves. Americans do it so well, and we’re competing in the same global markets.”

As a framework for building your origin story, Boshoff recommends the CAR technique: challenge, action, result.

Also remember that your story needs to resonate with investors, users, and staff – but for slightly different reasons.

“[Internally], your origin story becomes like folklore and acts as a guiding North Star for the business. It’s what you tell new starters on day one.”

For users, you want to emphasise your ‘why’ a little more. They want to know whether your product or service aligns with their own values.

And for investors, it provides insight into the founder’s character.

“They want to know the person behind this startup has grit and tenacity. Your origin story can show them you have the chops to not only start something, but to persevere and succeed.”

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