Resilience – real currency of business
IN business, success is often portrayed as the product of innovation, capital and opportunity. Yet for many Fijian entrepreneurs, survival itself can be the greatest achievement.
Stories shared at Leadership Fiji’s fth Leaders Lounge event this month revealed a common thread running through some of the country’s most successful enterprises: resilience in the face of crisis.
From surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating
res to overcoming economic shocks and changing consumer habits, the entrepreneurs’ experiences demonstrated that success often begins with a simple willingness to act.
As businessman Yaco Tabaiwalu reminded the audience, quoting Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Survival to growth
According to Yaco Tabaiwalu, co-owner and managing director of Ah Sam and Tabaiwalu Pte Ltd and Hilltop Beer Garden, entrepreneurship was born not from ambition but necessity.
His business emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic when livelihoods across Fiji were threatened by lockdowns and economic disruption.
“The business was born from the idea of trying to survive during the pandemic,” he said.
“I had to create something to make sure I was able to provide during the most difficult time for the country and the world.”
What started as a small operation involving ve people, many of whom had lost jobs or experienced reduced working hours, has since grown into a company handling multiple projects with a much larger workforce.
Mr Tabaiwalu attributes that growth to consistency and continuous improvement.
He described his philosophy as the “Golden Egg Rule”, adding that success requires entrepreneurs to keep improving processes while remaining disciplined enough to “always show up, no matter what”.
His closing message perhaps best captures the realities of entrepreneurship in Fiji: “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”
Turning crisis into opportunity
The journey of Value City managing director Vera Chute demonstrates how businesses can transform crises into opportunities.
From a single second-hand shop established in Labasa by her parents, the company has grown into Fiji’s largest pre-loved retail chain, operating 15 branches nationwide and expanding into the Paci c.
The growth story was not without risk.
“I took a huge risk in moving from my secure job at Westpac to assist our one-year-old family business,” Ms Chute said.
Have the courage to take calculated risks — growth often requires making bold decisions even during uncertain economic conditions
Vera Chute
“It had its challenges from a corporate to SME, but I have not regretted the decision.”
That willingness to embrace uncertainty became a de ning feature of the company’s expansion.
When its agship Suva store was destroyed in the ea market re in 2020 and the pandemic was creating widespread economic uncertainty, Value City pressed ahead with plans for a new two-storey retail hub.
The move re ected a leadership philosophy that growth often requires bold decisions during difficult periods.
As Ms Chute told participants: “Have the courage to take calculated risks — growth often requires making bold decisions even during uncertain economic conditions.”
Changing consumer mindsets
Perhaps one of the company’s most signi cant achievements has been changing public attitudes towards second-hand retailing.
What was once viewed by some consumers as a lastresort shopping option has increasingly become associated with affordability, sustainability and responsible consumption.
Re ecting on the generational shift she has witnessed, Ms Chute observed: “Thirty years ago, I saw children accompanying their parents to shop. Today they are parents themselves, and their children accompany them to shop. They are teaching the next generation the importance of the three Rs and caring for our environment.”
Building trust and leadership
For Liz Maki, founder of Liz Fitness Fiji, the challenge was less about physical expansion and more about building trust.
Starting with a single client more than a decade ago, she gradually built a recognised
tness brand through consistency and quality service.
Looking back, she said many of the obstacles that appeared most daunting at the time ultimately became opportunities for growth.
“The challenges faced during the early years became some of the greatest opportunities for personal and professional development,” she said.
Her experience reinforced a lesson that extends beyond the tness industry. “Leadership is not simply about directing people,” Ms Maki noted, “but about understanding, supporting and motivating them to perform at their best.”
Lessons for Fiji’s business future
Taken together, the stories shared at the Leaders Lounge reveal several themes shaping Fiji’s business landscape.
Resilience, adaptability and calculated risk-taking emerged as common ingredients of success.
Whether responding to economic crises, natural disasters or changing consumer behaviour, the entrepreneurs demonstrated an ability to evolve rather than retreat.
Their experiences also suggest that modern business leadership is increasingly about creating value beyond pro t – for employees, communities and the environment.
As Fiji continues navigating economic uncertainty and climate-related challenges, perhaps the most enduring lesson came from Mr Tabaiwalu’s simple observation: “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”
For the entrepreneurs who continue building businesses despite those challenges, that reality remains both the obstacle and the opportunity.