"Moving to Manawatu has allowed me to leave my teaching career and go out as a full time artist"

The McMenamin family of five moved from Wellington to Feilding in January 2017, when Joe’s wife Sarah was offered a position at St John’s Anglican church.

In Wellington Joe had been a high school teacher for 14 years but their move to Feilding and the more affordable cost of living meant that he was able to pursue his dream of being a full-time artist.

Specialising in painting and print making, he opened a studio in Feilding’s CBD in 2017 and hasn’t looked back. His art extends beyond the four walls of his gallery and his large murals are now prominent features across several buildings in the town.

Watch the full story to find out what the McMenamin’s move to Manawatū has meant for their family.

We asked Joe…

What are your favourite spots to grab a bite to eat in Manawatu?

“A 5 course dinner at Amayjen Restaurant in Feilding.”

What about to drink?

“Coffee at Focal Point Cinema.”

What do you love to do?

“Family walks around Kitchener Park looking for Piwakawaka.”

Have we convinced you yet?

Discover more about why our locals love to call Manawatū home, and start living the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Overview of planning undertaken The strategy/planning put in place to achieve growth, including the goals, actions and timeframes.	20%
Evidence of what the company has done How growth was achieved and is there a document or electronic record outlining the planning undertaken and the achievement. Evidence of other significant business achievements. Obstacles, risks and challenges encountered and how these were overcome.	15%
Innovation/creative thinking  What is being done to create an environment for continuous improvement and innovation and is this business as usual or out of the box thinking.	30%
Outcome for the business How success vs. goals has been measured and evidence of  sustainability of the growth. Other significant business achievements over the last 12-18 months.	30%
Outcome for the Manawatū region Employment, exports, greater awareness of the region and whether the company is a regional ambassador. Promotion of the principals of Te Tiriti O Waitangi (Participation, Protection and Partnership).	5%

Overview of planning undertaken  The legacy that you would you like your business to leave. The planning that has been undertaken to ensure that a legacy is left.	20%
Evidence of what the company has done What has the company done in terms of Māori identity and values and how is this integrated in the organisation? Provide evidence of this.	15%
Innovation/creative thinking What is done to encourage innovation in the business.	15%
Outcome for the business Encouragement of the organisation to understand and embrace the principals of Te Tiriti O Waitangi (Participation, Protection and Partnership).	20%
Outcome for the Manawatū region How the business is marketed to showcase value and identity. Impact of your business on the community in terms of social, environmental and economic impacts.	30%

Overview of planning undertaken  Policies or procedures in place to encourage innovation, and how the innovation was identified and planned.	15%
Evidence of what the company has done  Evidence of planning documents with goals, actions and time frames. Evidence of innovation implemented.  The risks and challenges faced and how these were overcome.	10%
Innovation/creative thinking  Information on whether there is an environment of continued improvement and innovation - what is done when a new idea is suggested, how innovation is encouraged, is there a business as usual or out of the box approach and the uniqueness of the innovation.	40%
Outcome for the business  Measurement of success vs. goals, how are the benefits maximised and sustained for growth, what were the business achievements over the last 12 to 18 months, and learnings for the business.	30%
Outcome for the Manawatū region  Impact of the innovation: employment, is the company exporting, greater awareness of the region and whether the company is a regional ambassador .	5%

Overview of planning undertaken              How the company planned and approached the marketing campaign using customer research and/or market insights.	20%
Evidence of what the company has done  Evidence of the campaign planning including measurable objectives, campaign implementation and evaluation of campaign effectiveness.	15%
Innovation/creative thinking                       Innovation/creative thinking demonstrated throughout the campaign from development to execution.	30%
Outcome for the business                                The campaign has had a positive impact on the business and achieved the set objectives.	35%

Overview of planning undertaken   Planning that was undertaken in relation to talent attraction, recruitment, development and retention.	20%
Evidence of what the company has done  Evidence on how the business demonstrated promoting diversity and fostering inclusion, pay equity, talent development, health, safety and wellbeing.	15%
Innovation/creative thinking   Did the business show innovation or creative thinking in talent attraction, recruitment, development and retention.	30%
Outcome for the business   Did the talent initiatives show a positive outcome for the business. Has the business evaluated the impact of the programme and shown evidence of this.	30%
Outcome for the Manawatū region Describe the impact that your innovation with talent initiative(s) has had on the wider Manawatū region in terms of skills development and employment.	5%

Meet Feilding Local Joe McMenamin