The School of Business programme was fortunate to be allowed to host and speak to Shawn Pope, a local entrepreneur, self-proclaimed ‘caffeine dealer’ and owner of Melba group - a collection of various thriving cafes such as Sergeant, Lieutenant, Five Elements Coffee, and more. 

Shawn openly spoke about his personal journey to success - sharing the key decisions he made and the things he had done differently that shaped the way he went forward into business. Sean’s willingness to do things differently, rather than following conventional standards, stood out - adding his insightful opinions on what helped him on his path to success and how it led to him building a successful business empire that has been dominating the Auckland Cafe & Coffee scene with immense success.

The Waitakere College School of Business Students had the opportunity to engage directly with Shawn, asking many well-thought-out questions that Shawn answered with honest and practical knowledge from his own experiences, which gave students insights into his blueprint of success. Navigating pandemics, recessions, and identifying key opportunities are just a few hurdles Shawn has encountered throughout his career and his answers gave students a real-world business perspective on what entrepreneurship truly looks like.

One message above all that resonated deeply with students was something Shawn had said when introducing himself - “Always keep getting back up and taking that extra step”. This encourages students to be resilient in their entrepreneurial journey and Shawn specifically emphasised the importance of resilience, taking every given opportunity, and never allowing failure to be the final word. 

The Waitākere College School of Business students left the session with valuable lessons and a renewed perspective to approach their futures with confidence, curiosity and openness to learning.