Photography: Robert Trathen.
Becoming a social media sensation has been a blessing to New Zealand TikTok Creator of the Year Louis Davis. And he is even more grateful for the community he has cultivated online in the aftermath of the January floods, which caused widespread damage across Northland.
Torrential rain battered the small rural Far North town near Whangārei that Louis calls home, destroying buildings and upending lives. Among the losses was Louis’ childhood home.
Rather than sit back and wait for help to arrive, the 32-year-old launched into action, reaching out to his followers to raise funds for neighbours to help rebuild their lives.
“We lost everything, but everyone’s safe, which is the main thing,” Louis says.
“One of the beautiful things about social media in those situations is fundraising money and telling the story about what’s happened here, so people don’t forget us.”
Luckily, the house where he lives with his wife Ashleigh, 32, and their three daughters, Anakiwa, five, Kānoa, three, and Kiahi, one, was spared. Still, he carries the loss of the house where he grew up deeply.
Grounded in gratitude
“I would have taken it better if it had been my home,” he admits.
“The house itself wasn’t great, but it’s the one with all the memories with my parents and my grandparents, and now my kids.”
Despite his woes, Louis knows he is still luckier than some.
“The land remains – everything can be rebuilt,” he says.
“I have a very blessed life. When things go wrong, I work really hard to keep perspective.”
From hobby to full-time
That bounding positivity has won Louis more than two million followers on TikTok alone. He posts multiple times each day, sharing snippets of family life, his exploits on the water, diving and fishing, and light-hearted comedy sketches that often go viral.
What started as a hobby at university has grown into his full-time job. And while he has a lot of fun, Louis says the most important aspect to him is to show a positive representation of Māori fatherhood.
Redefining Māori fatherhood
“My dad is my hero,” he smiles.
“He didn’t have a father around. No one taught him how to bait efficiently, but he showed me. No one showed up at his basketball games, but not only was he at every single game, he was also at every training. I wanted to tell a story of goodness, about te ao Māori and our people. All the wonderful things about our culture.”
It’s not just his dad – Louis equally credits his mum’s unconditional support with building the self-confidence he possesses today. They are lessons he carries with him as a father to his girls.
Fame without losing perspective
“The greatest gift my parents gave me is that all of my aspirations will probably work out,” he says.
“Because of that, I’ve always moved through the world thinking everything I put my mind to will work out – if not now, one day. I hope I can raise my kids with that same delusional aspiration.”
And it has worked out. When Louis was voted NZ Creator of the Year at last year’s TikTok awards, he couldn’t attend the ceremony as he was busy taking his young whānau on the trip of a lifetime.
“I was in Brazil fulfilling a promise that I made to my wife on our wedding day, to take her to see the seven wonders of the world,” he smiles.
“I was there with her and our three kids, seeing the last Wonder of the World [Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro]. “People say, ‘Why do you take your kids – they won’t remember it?’ But I remember what it’s like to watch my toddlers play with kids in a park in Rio – I remember it all.”
Blocking out the noise
After years in the public eye, Louis understands better than most how quickly online admiration can turn into criticism. With millions of people watching his life unfold, there’s no shortage of opinions, but he says he has learned not to let any of them define him.
“I chose a long time ago who can give me mana and who can take my mana,” he explains.
“It’s my wife, my kids and my parents – that’s the list. There’s no compliment you can give me that I’ll take on board, but there’s also nothing you can say to hurt my feelings.”
It’s a philosophy that keeps Louis firmly grounded, no matter where life takes him.
