Tell us a bit about yourself

Tasha came to Aotearoa in 2006 from South Korea to learn English. Prior to that, she worked in Tech as a software engineer, but she decided she wanted to improve her English by immersing herself in an English speaking country.

Basing herself on Waiheke Island, she initially found work in a local sushi shop and cafe, but soon she wanted to get back into Tech. She landed a part-time job with a local software company, it was through this she was able to gain a work visa and, ultimately gaining NZ residence.

After a few years working as a web developer, Tasha decided she wanted a complete career pivot and started looking into setting up her own small business. She headed back to university to study business in the fashion industry. Although she enjoyed her time back in education, she found it a little frustrating and wanted to just get on with it and give it a go - plus, she needed an income!

It was around this time she relocated to Tauranga and started work for a Korean education service based in Aotearoa. Having been through the process herself, she could relate to the student experience of arriving from Korean to New Zealand to learn English.

She had been working with the company for five years when a friend reached out and asked if she could help with the small business they’d set up - The Pottery Studio.

This was a new area for Tasha to learn and grow in, she helped to market and grow her friend's business. She created social media accounts as well as content to grow a highly engaging online community.

After a while the friend asked Tasha to join the team and help out on a more permanent basis. She quit the Korean education service role and moved into a social media marketing position.

In just five years, Tasha has grown a community of (close to) 5,000 followers on Facebook and just over 1,500 on Instagram. Pretty impressive for a self taught social media marketer!

What are you focusing on currently

To date - the fashion business is on hold. Tasha admits she’s been rethinking what this might look like now as she is aware of the impact of fast fashion on the environment. She’s considering doing something in the upcycle space - she had tried this when she was living in Waiheke, but it didn’t seem to be the right market fit as customers were very seasonal. She also has a side business online with Esty selling downloadable art work.

Her two goals for 2025 are:

• To continue to grow and promote the new mobile pottery workshops run by The Pottery Studio whereby they visit various locations in the North Island.
• To increase her passive income by expanding her offerings of digital products on platforms like Esty.

Tasha’s niece is also over visiting from Korea so she’s spent most of the Summer showing her around.

Can you share with us what have been your biggest challenges and success in starting a new business?

Tasha shares that her biggest challenge has been more of a cultural fit. Work culture and acceptable business norms are very different in Korea, she’s had to get used to the kiwi way of doing things, which has been a journey.

She also identifies as an introvert and so has had to work on putting herself out there. She’s had to break through her comfort zone when forging networks and launching her various initiatives or setting up new platforms.

When it comes to the wins and success, she is proud of the community she’s helped grow for the Pottery Studio. Engagement is high, she tells me, and so it’s very satisfying posting for an event and watching the immediate effect on ticket sales.

Tasha shares that one of the main focuses for The Pottery Studio is community, something she is also deeply passionate about. For her, she really enjoys connecting the community with the work The Pottery Studio does through storytelling on a digital platform.

While at Basestation, Tasha is hoping to grow her networks through the well established community here. She is looking forward to being in a shared space with other small business owners and entrepreneurs.

If you are also interested in coworking and connecting with other like minded entrepreneurs, come by and visit us at 148 Durham Street, Tauranga. We are open Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5pm