Tongan couple turns side hustle into thriving multimedia studio

A co-founder of a Pacific media company shares the details of their entrepreneurial journey and thanks those who supported them.

‘Anaseini Tabuto Iotebatu runs Tini Media, a photography and videography studio, alongside her husband in Nuku’alofa. What began as a part-time “side hustle” in 2016 has evolved into a full-time commitment over the past seven years.

Today, they operate an indoor studio and provide photography and videography services for outdoor events, along with rentable photo booths and, new this year, metal printing.

Speaking to John Pulu on PMN Tonga, Tabuto-Iotebatu says that their experience has taught them to “tell stories of our people from the views of our people”.

Tini Media has worked with both local clients and corporate entities, including Oxfam, Pharma Plus, and the Australian High Commission in Tonga.

“We're only just learning, the tip of the iceberg, but those are some of the things that we're covering, like birthdays, events here in Tonga,” Tabuto-Iotebatu says. “But also with corporate clients, producing evaluation videos for the project that are being funded here on the ground.”

The name Tini is a combination of the couple’s names, honouring their perspectives and creativity as they pursue their vision. Their passion for photography was sparked by a gift of their first camera, which contributed to the growth of Tini Media.

Tabuto-Iotebatu admits that the business faces seasonal fluctuations, with work varying depending on the time of year. For instance, she refers to December as “wedding season”, when many family reunions take place during the Christmas break.

“Our plans for this year, we are looking to be partnering up with some of our organisations. There's also the upcoming regional agriculture show that is coming up next month. We have been engaged with some of the regional organisations to be able to provide some services for them.

Watch ‘Anaseini Tabuto Iotebatu’s full interview below.

“There's Miss Heilala coming up as well. Those are the events we're looking forward to, but not only that, we love to be able to just engage with families. Next month is Father's Day, Children's Sunday, so we're basically trying to be able to work and be able to support families with that.”

Tabuto-Iotebatu is grateful to God for the abundance of work and growth that she and her husband’s business have experienced, as well as for the many clients who have supported their dream.

“We are very grateful to be able to work with regional organisations and the people who see the value of our work and our talent,” she says.

“Our clients as well, whether you're family, you have visited or use our services, we thank you because it is you who put food on our table. Thank you.”