Māori Millionaire Te Kahukura Boynton is on a mission to manifest health, wealth and happiness. And she believes that same ambition is available for anyone who’s ready to embrace the mahi to get it. Now, the 21-year-old has shared her personal mindset and action practice in her best selling new book. But, as the abundance vanguard tells Belinda Nash, this is not about the money; this is a movement.
According to neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart Bieber, our brains are wired to manifest. She believes that through neuroplasticity and redirecting our mindset, our brains have the capacity to be rewired to consistently activate the law of attraction.
Now, Te Kahukura Boynton of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe and Te Whakatōhea — aka the Māori Millionaire — is sharing how she turned the power of manifestation and creating new habits into a way of life in her debut title, Māori Millionaire: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Better Money Habits, published by Penguin Random House NZ (RRP$35).
Te Kahukura, who grew up in Ahuriri Napier, chose a profoundly personal setting to launch her eponymous book at an intimate gathering of whānau and friends at her ancestral home, Terere Marae in Ōpōtiki.
“That moment was deeply emotional,” says Te Kahukrua, the first Māori author of a personal finance book. “To see our people show up for a kaupapa like this meant everything to me.”
Her takeaway since her book launch has been that “there’s a huge hunger for financial empowerment in our communities”. This belief is backed up by Māori Millionaire book sales, which maintained a place in the top 10 on the New Zealand Bestsellers List for several weeks, which, says Te Kahukura, “speaks to how hungry people are for this knowledge”.
“People are ready to break cycles,” she adds. “They just need tools that speak to them in a way that feels safe, and is written in a relatable and accessible way.”
From Rock Bottom to Forming New Habits
Being relatable may just be Te Kahukura’s superpower — as attested by her following of around 65,000 people across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. And her namesake book marks a significant milestone in her own holistic transformation.
As a teen struggling with mental health, the self-confessed “high-achiever” left school and her role as deputy head girl during her senior year to enrol in law at Waikato University. It was there that she hit “rock bottom”, battling with drugs and weight gain, and — by no coincidence — when she launched herself in social media as the Māori Millionaire.
It was Te Kahukura’s defining moment, and when she proactively started shifting her mindset to self-determination, she says, “one habit at a time”.
“I’ve learned that habits shape your reality. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about choosing the version of yourself you want to become, and showing up for that person every day.”
Even small habits compound, she adds. “It’s a journey, not a destination, but it gets more exciting the more you commit to it.”
Te Kahukura wants everyone — particularly rangitahi — to know that changing a habit can be as simple as “just doing 1% better every day”.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out, you just need to show up,” she says. “Whether it’s saving $5, reading for 10 minutes, or choosing not to spend money you don’t have; those tiny decisions add up in powerful ways.”
Financial Wellbeing is Wellbeing
Through lived experience, Te Kahukura learned that building a life — building “a legacy” — from a place of “burnout, disconnection or spiritual exhaustion” was never going to work.
“Holistic wellbeing is everything, and financial wellbeing is just one part of the picture. The way I show up for my money has to align with my wairua, my tinana, my hinengaro, and my whānau, otherwise, what’s the point?”
She’s quick to acknowledge, too, that stepping into abundance can feel scary and unfamiliar, “especially when you grow up without much”, she adds.
“I’ve had to unlearn beliefs, heal from past trauma, and face moments of deep doubt. But every uncomfortable moment has also been a lesson.
A Message to Her Younger Self
While social media is awash with messages about creating a side hustle, Te Kahukura reminds us that “You don’t need 10 side hustles to succeed”.
“Stop trying to do everything at once. Focus on building one solid business, learn to say no, and stop trading your time for money. Trust that slow and steady progress will take you further than burnout ever will.”
She’s also keen that people unlearn limiting beliefs, like, “money doesn’t grow on trees”, which fosters a scarcity mindset.
“Money is everywhere — but you have to learn how to see it, how to attract it, and how to use it wisely. There’s enough pūtea in the world. Our job is to learn how to tap into it with intention.”
Wealth isn’t an end goal for Te Kahukura, which she emphasises in her book through honest, captivating prose. Instead, she says, it’s about creating choice.
“It means not being stuck in survival mode. It’s the ability to say ‘yes’ to things that light me up, and ‘no’ to things that don’t serve me. Financial freedom means reclaiming time, peace, and legacy for myself and my whānau.”
Te Kahukura’s book is much more than a personal story: it’s a glimpse into a journey that’s just getting started. Māori Millionaire: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Better Money Habits is about creating resilience, learning to find opportunity, and developing a sustainable, heartfelt connection that elevates everyone in its sphere.
Māori Millionaire is a Movement.
“I want to build a movement where Māori feel confident and proud about their financial journeys; where talking about money isn’t taboo, but empowering,” she says.
“I want to inspire a generation who know how to build wealth in a way that uplifts their hapū, iwi and wider community. This isn’t just about money — it’s about mana motuhake.”Find Māori Millionaire: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Better Money Habits at bookstores or online here, and discover more about building a money mindset at maorimillionaire.com.
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