Only a couple of months into her recovery journey, Kristin Adams enrolled in Smart Steps to Business Level 3 at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with the idea and hope of launching a spray tanning business.
She admits that initially she saw it as an opportunity to keep herself busy and stick to her recovery journey, but she achieved far more than that, completing the programme in 2024 and launching her own business.
“I wanted to enhance my skills and do something part-time. I wasn’t working at the time and honestly, I was just trying to stay clean. Now I have a registered business,” she says.
Now, Kristin also works full-time doing administration at Te Hā Oranga while running her beauty therapy business, Pinky and Co on the side.
She speaks highly of the programme and the support that she received from her kaiako, crediting her for getting to where she is in both her learning and recovery journey.
“Theresa (kaiako) was amazing and always pointed me in the right direction. She has supported me through almost every business decision I have made and she kept me engaged. Engagement was one of the most important things because that kept me thriving and kept me hungry for the next week.”
Through her studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Kristin was able to get her life back into a routine.
Showing up to class kept her accountable and learning to manage her personal life alongside her study helped her rebuild and regain a sense of balance and responsibility.
“This programme was like a stepping stone and I have been able to excel since. It’s the little things that help during recovery, like managing my calendar and juggling stuff around. It seems little but those were huge aspects for me.”
Kristin has also gone on to complete the Certificate in Money Management Level 3 and will continue her learning journey by studying a diploma in business.
“I’m going to be studying somewhere else just for the convenience around work. I’m sad to be leaving, but if I didn’t study Smart Steps to Business with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, I wouldn’t be halfway to where I am now.”
Find out more about our business programmes.
