I am not ready to close out the year. But as we step into December, I'd like to reflect on all the things I'm grateful 2023 have brought to the privileged mahi I get to do in Critical. :

We've expanded the size of our waka from 5 to 15 staff including advisors and contractors. I'm deeply grateful to get to work alongside such talented, dedicated and values align whānau to journey for the long haul with.

I'm grateful for all the new partnerships we've entered into this year. I continue to be inspired by fellow founders, directors, principals, teachers and practitioners who sharpen my own stone and hold me to a higher level of accountability.

I am grateful for every individual customer (or partner) Critical. has had the privilege of serving this year, from designers to businesses to home owners to freelancers. The kaupapa we outwork belongs to everyone and we need to work together to leave our whenua in a better place for our kids. I don't take any interaction I have with our partners this year for granted.

I am grateful to be in a privileged position where demand is currently outpacing our production. This is testament to the seismic shift towards circularity and sustainability our built environment is undergoing. And that's great for everyone.

I am grateful for all the mentors this year who have both helped me through difficulties and maintain perspective. Shout outs to Kale Panoho, Dylan Newbold, David Benattar and Robett Hollis and the Powermoves crew who we meet on a weekly basis. You fullas are legends aye.

I am grateful to have adopted (or have been adopted into) a whole new whānau of investors who care about what we care about, if not more. Entrepreneurship sometimes can be lonely and having good people backing us means the world. I'll be making an announcement about this in the coming week so stay tuned.

Lastly I am grateful for my whānau, my wife Halee and our three tamariki Theo, Anabelle and Malachi - for without them, my world will fall apart as they are rock upon which I build my whare!

Watch the video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tGL8Tx1JMloHK3_JbGG1SSAMW1yQ2XtO/view?usp=sharing

PS this video was shot in February 2023! So our impact is at 4x 750,000 bits of plastics waste today, which is cool and I'm grateful for that.

Shout out: This video was produced by our mates at Nine Islands Media - www.nineislandsmedia.co.nz . They are an incredible production company run by award winning news journalists and producers who create social media campaigns, ads for socially-conscious businesses. Go check those fullas out and give them a follow!!