What We Offer
Let’s start with what you need. Every journey is different, and pricing depends on the depth, scope, and design of the engagement.
Email us at admin@authenticitystudio.co.nz to begin the conversation — we’d love to hear where you’re at and how we can support you.
In most professional spaces, you're not expected to bring your past — only your qualifications or work history. Your CV is enough. But for those of us working from lived experience, our past is part of the story. It's not just a credential — it's often tender, private, and deeply human.
To show up authentically as someone with lived experience is to walk a line that many other professionals never have to consider. Our credibility comes from having lived the in-between — the heartbreak, the recovery, the questions that don’t resolve neatly. And yet, in professional settings, this can leave us exposed. Vulnerable. Sometimes even judged.
So how do we hold both?
How do we honour the depth of our lived experience without letting it be tokenised — and without shrinking ourselves to fit into rigid notions of “professionalism”?
It begins by anchoring in essence — not performance. By knowing that our value doesn’t come from how much of our story we share, but from the truth we speak when it matters. And when our truth is challenged — which it often will be — we stay grounded not in ego, but in integrity.
Authentic leadership from lived experience means knowing when to share, how to protect what’s sacred, and how to use our story not to centre ourselves — but to gently disrupt what no longer serves others.
This is not easy work. It’s brave work. And it matters.
Authentic leadership starts from within. It’s not defined by job titles or appearances, but by integrity, self-awareness, and the ability to lead with purpose and clarity.
At Authenticity Studio, we believe leadership is not about performance — it’s about showing up as a real person. It’s about bringing your lived experience, values, and challenges into your role, and being willing to listen, reflect, and grow.
In environments that often prioritise image or output, authentic leadership focuses on building trust, staying consistent, and fostering honest relationships. It asks: Can you lead with clarity and empathy? Can you hold space for difference? Can you influence systems with credibility and care?
We support leaders who are ready to bridge personal insight with professional responsibility — those who understand that strong leadership requires both competence and character.
When leadership is grounded in authenticity, it doesn’t just support individuals — it strengthens organisations and communities.
Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to create connection, build understanding, and inspire change. But not all stories are told with care.
At Authenticity Studio, we believe storytelling must be done with integrity — not to impress, perform, or tick a box, but to reflect truthfully where we are, where we've been, and where we're still growing.
We don’t tell stories that suggest success is final or perfect. The journey is always evolving. Learning never stops. And no one belongs on a pedestal.
Real hope isn’t shiny. It’s practical. It's grounded in the messiness of real life, and it holds space for uncertainty, grief, and becoming.
As our population continues to change, our stories must change too. They must reflect the true diversity of Aotearoa — not just in who is represented, but in how those experiences are understood and honoured.
Storytelling, when done with integrity, becomes a form of healing. A form of truth-telling. And a way forward.
Know Who You Are, and Why You Serve
Before any service can be truly effective, every organisation must return to the core questions: Who are we? Who are we here for? And why does it matter?
Too often, services are shaped to meet the expectations of those in power — not the real, complex, human needs of the communities they claim to serve.
To serve with authenticity means going beyond compliance. It requires knowing the people you work with — not just through data or policy targets, but through their lived stories, cultural truths, and everyday realities.
When we root our work in that understanding, we stop designing for systems and start building with people — with integrity, responsiveness, and purpose.
Writing a successful Request for Proposal (RFP) is never just a technical exercise. While it's essential to demonstrate the capacity and capability of your organisation, the real art lies in how clearly your proposal tells a story — one that allows the funder or panel to see your service in action.
A compelling RFP paints a picture. It enables decision-makers to visualise delivery, feel the impact, and trust that your team understands the community it serves. It’s not just about ticking boxes — it’s about creating confidence.
A strong RFP weaves together intention, clarity, and attention to detail. It builds trust by showing your innovation, sustainability, and contingency planning. Most importantly, it links fiscal responsibility to meaningful outcomes — offering not just good ideas, but evidence of lasting impact.
What makes an RFP stand out is not just structure — but conviction. A strong narrative, backed by wisdom, insight, and a deep understanding of the sector, gives your proposal weight. That’s what gets noticed. That’s what counts.
While cross-cultural frameworks have long been explored in Western business and later adopted in Eastern contexts, their integration into healthcare — particularly mental health and addiction services — has only gained momentum in the past decade. In New Zealand, the growing diversity of the population makes this work not just relevant, but urgent.
Many health services still struggle to address cultural nuances effectively. This often leads to reduced accessibility, delayed help-seeking, and outcomes that fail to reflect the real needs of communities — especially among Asian and other migrant populations. The problem isn’t always the lack of services, but the lack of understanding in how services are communicated, received, and trusted.
This doesn’t mean overhauling entire systems. Instead, it means recognising and responding to the subtle, often overlooked differences in how health and well-being are perceived and expressed across cultures. It’s about identifying what gets lost in translation — not just language, but values, expectations, and experiences.
Cross-cultural communication is more than a skill — it’s a mindset. It requires the ability to listen between the lines, to interpret context, and to articulate differences in a way that builds bridges rather than reinforces gaps. When done well, it allows both systems and communities to meet on common ground, learning from one another and growing together.
In today’s Aotearoa, understanding the “why” behind these cultural differences is not just a nice-to-have — it’s essential for creating systems of care that are inclusive, equitable, and truly effective.
