About Mike Edwards — Author of Culture Maker

Hi, I'm Mike Edwards. I have 6 kids and I've fostered 37 more. That doesn't mean I'm perfect, it just means I've likely made more mistakes then most - based on the maths, that's probably not far from the truth.

That being said you’re unlikely to listen to a guy talking about parenting and leadership if he isn't living by example.

So let’s look at that.

Today, as I write this, I struggle with every leaders burden — to lead well at work, to grow a successful business but also make enough time for my kids.

I hope I get this right, at least some of the time. It's tricky, because my wife and I have 6 kids (we've been married for 27 years), and we've also now been blessed with grandkids — life is busy.

It's quieter then it use to be though — we’re no longer fostering, we now just have four kids at home and it feels like a breeze. It's the same in every home, no matter how big or small — if there's just one child away, it feels like the house is empty.

In addition to our large family, I lead Hāpai Whanau — our charity, and Flare Fires.

When it comes to establishing my leadership credibility — I'd start off by saying speak to my wife, or my kids. And when it comes to business — Flare Fires is a complex export business and we're leading in all the markets in which we operate. And when I look at our success, it's not me that's done it — it's 100% my team. I have a world-class team, and I'm thankful for them every day. 

Gosh, I'd have to say the same about Hāpai Whanau. Our team is beyond world-class — and our charitable work is loved by the community.

My wife and I have fallen into this work — we don't purport to being perfect. We started helping young families when we had just a young family ourselves — we're just super passionate and optimistic for family.

What if we believed in a bright future for all families?

Fostering highlighted the great brokeness in families and the foster care system. Things must and can get better. We believe in a brighter future. What if we all believed in a brighter future — first for our family, then the families around us — imagine what the world could look like. The Bright Vision Charitable Trust (Hāpai Whanau) was formed for this purpose.