Lalaga Card Game Lands Whitcoulls Deal and Sells Out in 24 Hours at Sylvia Park
In a world that thrives on diversity and innovation, it is exhilarating to witness Pacific-owned businesses making significant strides in their respective industries. Last week, Torisse Laulu, a Pacific business owner, saw her hard work come to fruition as her card game, designed to inspire deep talanoa (conversation), was stocked in eight Whitcoulls stores across the country.
The popular card game proved its worth when both Sylvia Park Whitcoulls stores sold out in just over 24 hours of being stocked!
Hailing from the villages of Afega, Lefaga, Salai'lua, and Falealili, the 29-year-old entrepreneur shares the genesis of her card game, Lalaga.
"Lalaga came about after I ran a platform called Plantation Convos and co-hosted Talanoa sessions with Anatola Finau. Women and men would come to these sessions and talanoa about topics that they never really had the space to talk about in their everyday lives. People would spend hours talking and unpacking.”
Inspired by these sessions, Laulu sought to create more of these spaces, making such talanoa more accessible through a card game – which we now know as Lalaga.
Players select a card from the deck, each posing a specific question that the player must answer. These questions encourage players to think deeply about their lives, friendships, culture, and relationships.
Examples of questions in the card game include:
- “Do you have a story of someone in your family experiencing racism or standing up against racism?”
- “When you are asked how you are, how often do you answer truthfully?”
- “If you could say anything to the person who hurt you the most, what would you say?”
- “What is the most pain that you have ever been in, that wasn’t physical?”
- “Who has had the most positive impact on your life?”
These questions allow players to be vulnerable with others and to self-reflect, often addressing topics they may never have been asked about before.
Reflecting on her journey as a young Brown business owner, Laulu states, "It's been a roller coaster. I've seen being Brown and Pasifika as a superpower that's allowed me to move through the business world differently. We offer a different lens and way of working that I think is needed in the business world.”
“What's been hard is starting a business with no understanding of how the business world works and having no capital.”
Laulu stated that not having the much-needed capital was a barrier, in the sense that there was no plan B. “When I finally got funding to print the cards, it only took a few months before we launched the product. So for me, money has been one of my biggest barriers because it has meant I've had to work ten times harder and wait ten times longer for things to fall into place.”
When asked who inspires her, Laulu stated, "My village inspires me! My mum and dad's work ethic is unreal! I've always looked up to them and the way they work and love people.”
“My sister, my friends—they're all doing what they love and playing their little part in the greater good. I draw so much inspiration from them and feel really blessed to have a solid village around me."
Being a self-proclaimed newbie to the business world, Laulu was reluctant to give advice. "I'm still really new in the business world, so I feel a bit shy giving advice, haha. But I would say to go after those really bold, crazy dreams because they're super possible. Your crazy dreams are someone's reality, and I think that gives me the courage to just dream boldly."
Torisse Laulu's story and the success of Lalaga are a testament to the demand for more Brown Businesses in mainstream spaces. Congratulations to Torisse and the Lalaga team for their inspiring journey and the positive impact they continue to make.
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STORES CURRENTLY STOCKING LALAGA
Whitcoulls Wellington
Whitcoulls Albany
Whitcoulls Riccarton
Whitcoulls Te Rapa
Whitcoulls Sylvia Park
Whitcoulls Porirua
Whitcoulls Sylvia Park Express (by Pak & Save)
Whitcoulls Papakura
Follow Lalaga on IG: Here
Visit their website: Here
- Written by Arts & Culture Journalist Destiny Momoiseā
made with the help of Creative New Zealand