PASIFIKA BUSINESS MUM 'I NEARLY BROKE US!'

Taking a leap of faith tested everything for this family... until the dream paid off

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When Noeleen Tuala walked away from the security of a steady pay cheque to bet everything on her line of Pasifika-inspired babywear, she knew there was no turning back.

As a mother of five and nana of six, with a mortgage and family to support, it was the most terrifying decision she'd ever made.

Noeleen, 42, says, “I remember thinking, ‘If I don’t do this now, I'll always wonder what could have been.’ It was nerve-racking, but it felt right.”

With the support of her husband Joe, 52, Noeleen left her role as an executive assistant to work full-time on Pele, a business born from her desire to see Polynesian culture represented in everyday family life.

The decision left them relying heavily on Joe's income, but the Aucklanders believed in the dream and in each other. Yet just 12 months later, everything changed.

Joe was made redundant from his longtime role as a warehouse manager when the company was sold to an overseas buyer.

“It was heartbreaking,” confides Noeleen. “Overnight that security disappeared and we were suddenly facing a future we hadn't planned for.”

The pressure was immediate and intense. With a mortgage to pay and children to support (their family of five kids are aged between 28 and 12), the couple found themselves calculating how long they could keep afloat.