In April 2008 Ellis Bryers (Ngāpuhi) gave up his 25-year career as a commercial fisherman to start his own life coaching business.

“My business is about helping people achieve success and because everyone sees success in different ways, my job is to find out what success looks like for each of my clients and help set realistic goals or pathways to achieve that success,” says Ellis.

“My point of difference is that I have incorporated into my business my personal experience, who I am as a Māori and tikanga Māori,” he says.

“Ka tū te rangatira – The chief will stand” is the motto of Ellis’s business, Oranga Coaching Services. Currently Oranga Coaching Services has a contract with the Ministry of Education to help schools with children who have disruptive behaviour.

“Our kids aren’t bad; it is just their behaviour that is bad. So I help the school put in some really good structures to deal with the behavioural issues,” says Ellis. “I work one on one and as a group, with the kids, their whānau and the school to identify the issues. I have developed a targeted play programme to encourage good behaviour,” he says. Oranga Coaching Services also offers a range of tailor-made services from workshops, seminars and courses to speaking engagements and more. In June last year, while walking past the Te Puni Kōkiri office in Tauranga, Ellis decided to go inside and see what support was available for his business.

“I had never been in business before and my mindset was to work with my hands and that’s it, but Te Puni Kōkiri has been fantastic in helping me develop, grow and understand my business,” says Ellis. Oranga Coaching Services has gone from strength to strength as Ellis is continually upgrading his skills base. Last year he became a marriage celebrant and during the summer he was involved in 14 weddings.

For more information or to contact Ellis visit: www.orangacoaching.com.