“At school when they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said I wanted to be wise like my grandad. They told me I didn’t understand the question, but I don’t think they understood my answer. Grandad was very wise, and I wanted to be like him. His books are my taonga (treasure),” he said.
“I was the disappearing into the library type of neurodivergent. I played Dungeons and Dragons - the original version with the red book.”
Making wetsuits at the beach
At high school Iain developed an interest in architecture, through his skills in maths and technical drawing. He wanted to leave school at 6th form (year 12) to study drafting at Polytechnic, but his mother vetoed the plan, wanting him to stay and finish school.
Iain however, had different ideas. “I said 'stuff that, I’m not going back. I’m taking my van to the beach, and I’m going to make wetsuits in Otaki,' and I did that for a couple of years.”
Buzzing at the Beehive
Like many people with ADHD, Iain has a colourful career history. After moving on from selling wetsuits, he worked in nightclubs, hospitality, advertising, sales, and as a body modification artist, before finding himself at the Beehive, behind the bar.
Iain landed a job working at Bellamys, the parliamentary caterers, giving him a bird’s eye view of the goings on at parliament. It was during the period when Jim Bolger was prime minister, the Ngāi Tahu settlements were happening, and Winston Peters was buying a pack of Winfield Blues every day. He led front of house teams for state functions held for Nelson Mandela, the Sultan of Brunei and Queen Elizabeth II.