Ten Questions in Ten Minutes: With Rosanna Marks

Rosanna Marks is director of Mind Body Institute + Aroha Healing, which offers a diverse array of healing and holistic therapies that are unique to New Zealand.

Business to Business - What inspired you to start up your business?
Rosanna Marks - It was always a dream of mine to have my own, very unique business focused on healing and caring for others, working from the inside out, rather than a strong focus on the physical body.  I had worked in a corporate environment for many years, and learned many lessons. But my ambition was to transcend working for someone else, and to provide much needed wellbeing for our busy society. This dream is what inspired and motivated me to venture out on my own with my small business.

BtoB - Who has influenced you the most professionally?
RM - My business mentor, Michael Tait who has been instrumental in the development of my business.  

BtoB - How would you describe yourself as a businessperson?
RM - A fledgling – one who is driven and determined, eager to learn and grow, with many creative ideas and enthusiasm.  

BtoB - What do you consider your greatest achievement?
RM - My greatest reward is the amazing transformative, positive healing and growth of my clients. My clients are diverse and range from busy corporate professionals, self employed business professionals, creatives, at home mums and dads, and students – all requiring education of how to create healing and balance in their lives.

BtoB - With hindsight, what is the one thing you would do differently?
RM - Taking on board exactly what my business mentor suggested I do, although I felt highly uncomfortable with it at the time; in hindsight progression moving forward would have had more flow, and a lot easier, had I implemented his advice.

BtoB - Who do you find inspirational and why?
RM - I find many people inspirational – too many to list! Currently I am deeply inspired by Keti Sharif; I will join her this month in Melbourne to become certified as a Pulse 8 Elements Belly Dance instructor. This will be the last component to a holistic fertility program I am currently developing called ‘Aroha Healing, Whakanui oranga tangata' or ‘Love Healing, Celebrate Fertility', one of the many offerings under my Aroha Healing brand. Keti has taken her passion of Belly Dance and has created a global business phenomenon from this passion – inspiring!

BtoB - What is the most inspirational book you have read recently?
RM - I have three books that I refer to often – sometimes daily for inspiration:
- ‘Huna – Ancient Hawaiian Secrets for modern living’ by Serge Kahili King
- ‘You can heal your life’ by Louise Hay, with her simple techniques and metaphysical approach to healing; she has helped immensely in the way that I provide healing to my clients.
- ‘The Reiki Source book’ by Bronwen and Frans Stiene

BtoB - What is your favourite website and why?
RM - I spend most of my time on my website!  I love it and how it is evolving.  I also frequent those of my creative artistic friends that I admire, and find inspiration through.

BtoB - What is the first thing you would do if you became Prime Minister?
RM - I would implement subsidised healing for all who reside in NZ. I feel that if we start creating an environment of love and caring for others and our culture, we would live in a very different, kind and supportive society. With our current population this would not be difficult, starting with our youth and the teaching of Reiki in schools. Celebrity Goldie Hawn has helped set up a teaching program called ‘MindUP’ which is already used in over 1,000 schools in the US and Canada and aims to improve awareness, caring and focus in these mindful programs, through teaching and offering ancient eastern healing and meditations.

BtoB - What is the best thing about being in business?
RM - Freedom to express and implement my own creative ideas without limitations, and also to be doing what I feel truly passionate about. Living the dream!