Founder, Girl Native
Ōpōtiki, New Zealand
This conversation was originally published in 2020 as part of the original Careering Conversations series.
We've lightly edited it for readability while preserving the original conversation and advice, and added an update on what Rawinia has been doing since we first spoke.
By the age of 30, Rawinia Rimene had completed qualifications in money management, small business management, business, project management, makeup artistry and skincare formulation, while also studying Māori Studies and Entrepreneurship. It's an impressive list, but what interested us more was how she got there.
Rawinia's career didn't begin in a classroom.
She describes herself as a hands-on learner, and traditional school wasn't the right fit. After leaving school early, she found her first job at just 12 years old in a takeaway shop in Ōpōtiki, discovering that she learnt best by doing rather than sitting behind a desk.
Like many careers, hers wasn't a straight line.
After working in hospitality and moving out of home at 16, Rawinia became a mother at 19. In her early twenties, following a difficult relationship breakdown, she developed an addiction to Class A drugs. It was a period that changed the course of her life and one she speaks about openly because she hopes it reminds others that difficult chapters don't have to define the rest of your story.
Turning her life around wasn't easy.
It required rebuilding her confidence, changing her environment and making different choices every day. Rawinia doesn't see those experiences as something to hide. Instead, they've shaped the resilience and perspective she brings to both life and business.
Her children became the catalyst for that change.
She describes them as her greatest achievement and the reason she gets up every morning. Building Girl Native wasn't simply about creating a successful business—it was about creating a better future for her family.
Rawinia was open with us throughout about her willingness to embrace change.
She laughs that one of her biggest career challenges was sticking with just one thing. She became bored easily, changed jobs throughout her late teens and early twenties and explored a wide range of interests. Rather than seeing those experiences as wasted time, she believes each one contributed something valuable. Every role taught her new skills, broadened her perspective and ultimately prepared her for entrepreneurship.
Building a business has also required sacrifice.
There have been long nights, missed social events and time away from family while laying the foundations for Girl Native. Like many business owners, Rawinia continues to navigate the balance between growing a company and being present for the people who matter most.
Perhaps the strongest message from our conversation was that your past doesn't determine your future.
Rawinia's story isn't remarkable because she built a successful business. It's remarkable because she chose to keep moving forward when it would have been much easier to give up.
Since we first spoke
Update coming soon.
What Rawinia taught us
There is no such thing as the perfect career path. Every experience—even the difficult ones—can become part of your foundation if you're willing to learn from it. Rawinia reminds us that our greatest strength often comes from overcoming the challenges we never expected to face, and that it's never too late to choose a different direction.
