Trish Ropiha

‘I want choices, not dollars and cents’ – Meet Trish, Māori woman, marketer and ex-bargain hunter

by Verve

Trish is a Māori (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāi Tahu) woman from Ōtautahi (Christchurch, NZ). She’s a marketer by trade and moved to Melbourne almost seven years ago to have a red hot crack at furthering her career. Without a doubt, Trish has made the most of every opportunity Melbourne has to offer. She currently lives in Prahran with her partner, and we’re pretty lucky to have her as part of the Verve team. 

We thought it was about time we introduced you to some of the women behind the scenes here at Verve, over to you Trish! 

My mum was a bargain hunter. 

So naturally, I am one too. We’d go shopping together when I was little, and I remember the two of us searching out bargains like it was a game. Years later, the thrill of a ‘sale’ gives me a bigger high than the purchase itself (IYKYK). 

In the last two or so years I’ve started a journey of conscious buying, which is completely removed from my days of sale chasing and big outlet shopping. It’s partly because the thought of owning so much ‘stuff’ makes me feel a bit ill, and partly because my relationship with money has changed to being ‘future’ focused, rather than ‘now’ focused. 

I think when you grow up with ‘just enough’ it’s hard to think about saving or investing for the future. Now, the future is something that’s incredibly important to me. 

Verve crossed my radar when I was working for another super fund.

Soon after I listened to a podcast interview with Christina Hobbs, Verve’s CEO, and I really resonated with the vision. Vision is so important, if we can’t see a better way, a better future, then we can’t start to build towards it. 

I had been sitting on Verve’s newsletter list for about a year before I finally joined. 

I joined Verve because I could see a better way to invest, to create change, and I wanted to be a part of it.

I want choices not dollars and cents  

The meaning of wealth has always come down to having choices for me. A wealthy life is one with options, freedom and the ability to look after myself and those I love. 

If I could have dinner with any woman in the world it would be… 

My sister. Thanks to the pandemic, Melbourne lockdown & the border closures, I haven’t been home to New Zealand in over a year. It’s the longest I’ve ever been away from my home and my family. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to sit down and gossip with her. 

Be kind. Say thank you. 

That’s my philosophy. There’s too much negativity in the world to add to it. And to me, it’s important to show gratitude, show people that you appreciate them.   

Every woman has a unique story, and every story is unique in its power to improve the lives of other women. So, if you are a Verve Super Member, we’d love to hear your story. Send us an email and let’s do this: hello@vervesuper.com.au

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