After many years of ideation, the Network is now being launched. Its future will be profoundly shaped by the people who become part of it at this early stage, so we are carefully crafting this collective by attracting and inviting people who share our vision to join us.
Matt believes that Aotearoa's relative isolation, the beauty and mauri (energy) of its land, and the talent and ideas of people who choose to make it their home give it a unique take on what wellbeing is and can be. In a world where wellbeing is more sought after than ever, this gives New Zealand a powerful competitive advantage. His hope is that the Parihoa network can be part of Aotearoa becoming known as a global centre for wellbeing innovation.
We believe wellbeing leads to well-doing. Well leaders and founders, who have understood the impact of wellbeing, will create new-age companies, with wellbeing at their centre, that can change the world for the better. We want the Parihoa Network to be an exemplar of this type of company. Ultimately, our dream is for the network to grow organically to a million members, and for the energy of Parihoa to radiate out through the world through a global collective of wellbeing talent.
More from our Founder...
As the founder of Parihoa, I have long envisioned it as a wellbeing company, but not in the conventional sense. My vision is for Parihoa to be a company of well beings, with people at the heart of everything we do, and for the network to serve as a super network, connecting individuals who share our vision.
My insights stem from two decades of experience in global human resources, coupled with my personal journey towards understanding what it truly means to thrive. As I have observed the current landscape of leadership and corporate culture, I have realised that achieving this vision within legacy systems would be challenging.
The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a significant stress test for organisations worldwide, revealing how leaders managed (or failed to manage) their employees' well-being. It became apparent that well-being encompasses not just the employee in the office but also their life outside of work. This holistic perspective is what I refer to as the "whole human approach."
As I worked on my own wellbeing, I began to envision a future where CEOs and founders would be well leaders. Many of these would be individuals like myself, who have experienced an inflection point in their lives, where they have had to transform and become a new version of themselves.
I am deeply passionate about growing well leaders and establishing the well-being profession for the future. Just as HR has developed feeder pools of talent from various backgrounds, I see a similar opportunity for well-being. There are individuals already working in this space, and there is potential for new talent to emerge from HR, business sectors, academia, all aspiring to contribute to a profession that genuinely helps people thrive.
I want the Parihoa Network to be a catalyst that brings together, amplifies, and accelerates this movement. It's exciting for me to see the Network starting to come to life and to dream about how it might change work and the world for the better.