My Job: Outdoor Jack-of-All-Trades
Gerry Kaho‘okano used to Tahitian dance with John (Leong, CEO of Pono Pacific Land Management) and he needed help. So he went to work for him as a field laborer.
Author: Catherine Toth Fox
Talk Story with Guy Kawasaki
Chief evangelist for Canva and creator of the podcast, “Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People” Born and raised in Kalihi Valley, marketing guru Guy Kawasaki went from law school dropout to working for some of the biggest names in tech: Apple, Google…
My Job: Sweet Spot
Jolanta Siwik is the regulatory and innovation manager at Hawaiian Host Job: Food scientist Experience: 15 years, two with Hawaiian Host Start: Jolanta Siwik majored in human nutrition in her native Poland, then got her master’s degree in food science…
Winemaker’s Skills Are Always Growing
Every workday is different for Brett Miller (center right wearing a black shirt), though each day usually includes at least some time in the MauiWine vineyard in Kula, on the slope of Haleakala. Start: While majoring in biology and…
My Job: Perfumist, Deanna Rose
While at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., Deanna Rose grew skeptical of conventional body products. “I was seeking solutions to my thick Armenian hair and dry Northeastern skin that I could feel good about using, and so around my sophomore…
My Job: Cowboy
Start Galimba grew up on Oahu’s North Shore while his dad, Al, played a big role in dairy operations at Meadow Gold. He raised rabbits, birds and goats to sell. “I used to have a sign out on the highways…
Buy Local
WAIMANALO – David Yarber hands out samples of his locally brewed kombucha, a popular fermented tea that’s touted for its health benefits, to a group of Japanese visitors at his Waimanalo brewery. It's obvious from their nodding heads and polite…
They’ve Earned Their Stars
THE OLD ADAGE still matters in Hawaii’s top hotels: Every little thing counts. That commitment to seemingly small things – greeting you by name when you check in, smiling at you with every interaction – has kept two hotels as the…
My Job: Calligrapher
Name: Kelsey Nishi Job: Calligrapher Experience: One year Start: Most local fashionistas know Nishi for her jewelry line, Padma & Pickles, named after her Labradoodle and rescue cat. But a year ago, she picked up a calligraphy pen and found…
Accountant Charged With Same Crimes He Once Investigated
Patrick Oki says he was assigned to his first fraud investigation in the mid-1990s, just a few years after graduating from UH-Manoa and joining an accounting firm. “We had to go to our client’s site on a Saturday and we…
At Whole Foods, The Team Votes You On or Off
Employees at Whole Foods Market vote on the fate of a new hire, but the company likes to call it an act of affirmation, not something you’d see on “Survivor.” “It’s really affirming this new team member is part of…
Eye-Candy Interiors
Name: Charene Davis Job: Senior designer and owner of Aloha Staged Interiors Experience: 15 years START: Davis earned degrees in interior design and journalism, but wound up getting her real estate license in…
Don’t Let Social Media Control Your Company
Jason Cohen, marketing manager for the Kona-based Hawaii Forest & Trail tour company, checks user-review sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor whenever he is notified of a new review. He also monitors the company’s Facebook page daily for comments. If…
Brazil in the Aina
Name: Sandy Tsukiyama Job: Radio show host Experience: Six years Profile: Tsukiyama has lived an interesting life: She trained on the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument; worked as a tour guide for Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking visitors to Oahu;…
Sharing Wine’s Diverse Delights
Name: Chuck Furuya Job: Master sommelier Experience: More than 25 years Start: Furuya started drinking wine while…
The Modern Version of the Advice Column
Problem: You need immediate advice, but don’t feel comfortable revealing too much about yourself, so Facebook is out of the question. “Facebook is the sanitized version of our life,” says Nicole Randall, 36, above right, who has spent the last…
Getting At-Risk Kids on Track
Name: Malia Alo Job: Program coordinator at Hale Kipa Experience: 2½ years Education: BA in sociology and criminal justice from UH West Oahu. Her start: Alo was a student at Campbell High School when she realized she wanted to help…
Your Voice Says One Thing, But Your Body May Say Something Completely Different
Like many others, Susan Szabo feared public speaking. But unlike most people stricken with that fear, she took a job where standing in front of an audience is common. She needed help, so she took a group class with presentation…
3D Innovator
Hawaii Kai’s Remington Scott is a global pioneer in making video-game and movie creations come to life Remington Scott understands the unpredictably of life. Growing up in New York in the pre-Internet era, Scott thought he was going to be…
Pro Bono Architects Help Nonprofits Thrive
Palama Settlement has served low-income and immigrant families in Kalihi and Palama for more than a century, but the facilities have deteriorated over the years and some can no longer be used. “We’re land rich but asset poor,” says Wendy…
She Shares Her Love of Ballet
Name: Vivienne Lim Job: Owner and artistic director, Royal Academy of Ballet Experience: Three decades in ballet Start: Born in Malaysia, Lim was just 3 when her parents enrolled her in a ballet program certified by the esteemed Royal Academy…
Stunts? “Sounds like fun!”
Name: Katie Wright Pere Job: Stuntwoman Experience: 14 years Start: While Pere attended Florida State University, she trained two to three hours a day, six days a week, as a competitive swimmer. She also rode Jet Skis and water skied.…
Talk Story with Pohai Ryan
Executive Director, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association Ryan brings wide experience to her role, from managing an information office in Kailua to serving as a state senator. This Kamehameha Schools alumna plans to focus on culture and authenticity during her tenure,…
Too Old for Coaching? Think Again
To Donalyn Dela Cruz, coaches were people who led basketball practice and volleyball clinics – not shape executives into leaders. But when she entered the prestigious Omidyar Fellows program in 2012, she was paired with a professional coach who helped her…
More than just a Bartender
Name: Mike Hall Job: Mixologist Experience: Two years Start: When Hall moved from Maryland in 1999 to attend Hawaii Pacific University, he did what many college students do: He worked at a restaurant. It wasn’t until he got a…
Research into Hazards Leads to Device that May Save Lives
Problem: Doctors didn’t have a reliable, noninvasive method to measure changes to the water in a patient’s lungs – an important factor in the early detection of heart failure. Heart failure affects an estimated 5.1 million people in the U.S.…
House for Sale, So Let’s Party
It was a great party at the 4-acre oceanfront estate in Olowalu, about four miles south of Lahaina: The music was lively, the neighbors enjoyed it and money was raised for a good cause. The owners weren’t there, but they…
Diamond Head Theatre is Fun and Frugal
The Diamond Head Theatre is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, but there was a time when it seemed like it might end its run right around its 80th anniversary. A few bad decisions – including paying actors more than…
Picnic Lunch with a View
Spalding House is an idyllic spot for a contemporary museum – a 3.5-acre estate on Makiki Heights with panoramic views of Diamond Head and Waikiki – and also a great place to picnic. The cafe on the museum’s first floor…
Design Repurposing at Chai Studio
Amerjit Ghag strolled around her shop, Chai Studio, at Ward Warehouse and pointed out everything that was repurposed. There was a lot. Like the large wooden mills used to grind grain that she topped with cushions using old sari material…
My Job: Weather Anchor
Name: Guy Hagi Job: Weather anchor at Hawaii News Now Experience: 15 years Hagi will never forget his first day as the weather anchor at KGMB. He had just returned from a family vacation to New York City. It was…
Everyone Wants to Help
Name: Dan Ching Job: Aquaponics farmer Experience: Two years START: When Ching, 65, retired as a structural engineer, he wanted to keep busy. He decided to farm with aquaponics, a method that uses fish effluent in water to grow plants…
These Babies Now Grow Up at Home
For years, Hawaii has been exporting oyster seeds (read: babies) to the Mainland. But, this year, for the first time in nearly three decades, these oysters are being fully matured – and sold – in the Islands. In late February, after a…
Tilapia’s Turnaround: From Yucky to Yummy
Mention tilapia and most local folks will cringe, thinking about the muddy-tasting fish swimming in unappetizing places such as the Ala Wai Canal. But tilapia’s reputation is changing. When James Beard-award-winning chef Alan Wong served this fish alongside mahi mahi and opakapaka at a…
Dolphins With Dinner
There aren’t many places you can feed dolphins one minute, then, in the next, bite into a juicy sirloin burger with truffled tater tots while listening to live jazz. You can do this in a single afternoon at The Kahala…
Reclaiming the History of Keauhou Bay
Name: Lily Dudoit Job: Director of culture and activities, Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay Experience: Three years START: Dudoit, who was born and raised in Kona and is part Hawaiian, was walking the grounds of the…
Talk Story with Peter Fithian
You seem to have lived many different lives. I’ve done a number of things. Probably some of the work I did with the visitors bureau and the various committees I’ve been on did more for Hawaii, but I’m best known…
Maui Divers Refreshes Its Multilayer Brands
Maui Divers Jewelry’s elegant new shop in the lobby of the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Alii Tower is just the most visible part of a multimillion-dollar brand refresh for the entire company. The state’s largest jewelry retailer and manufacturer, which started in 1958 as an…
New Attitudes About Social Media
Companies love social media because they can be inexpensive ways to reach lots of customers. But, companies worry about social media because they have little control over what others say about them. In fact, one of the biggest concerns companies…
She Trains Dogs (and Owners, Too)
Name: Karen Hashimoto Job: Certified dog trainer Experience: 27 years START: As a teenager, Karen Hashimoto spent summers volunteering at a dairy farm in Waianae, cleaning the milking parlor and feeding calves. So when she enrolled at UH-Manoa, she intended…
Traditional Hawaii Now On Your Phone
It may seem incongruent to have a smartphone app about ancient Hawaiian fishponds. But, if you think about it, both apps and fishponds are technological achievements of their time. Marrying them makes it easier for people to learn about an ancient…
Wild Days of Tree Trimming are Dying
PHOTOS BY ELYSE AND MATT MALLAMS Back in the mid-1970s, when Abner Undan started working for a tree-trimming company, the standard method was to lop off branches randomly and use spikes to climb palm trees. “Those were the old…
Entrepreneurs Inspired by the Ocean
It’s no surprise the same ocean that inspires surfers, paddlers and swimmers has also inspired entrepreneurs to make a living off what they love. They start surf schools, design canoe paddles, cultivate marine livestock, run fishing charters or develop technology…
Bartering Makes a Comeback
A graduate student trades the bananas he grows to a local café for gift cards. On Craigslist, a beekeeper on Hawaii Island says he wants to swap a Langstroth beehive for a sailboat or greenhouse. Using a bartering network, a freelance…
Coaching Dogs in the Sport of Agility
Mark Nishiyama spent more than 20 years coaching children in baseball and basketball, but, with his own kids grown, he switched to dogs last year. The co-founder and VP of Kamaaina Kids has been training his 5-year-old Shetland sheepdog Maile…
Former Career is Still a Passion
If you look at John Thielst today, sitting in an office in downtown Honolulu, you would never imagine his previous career. The managing principal of Coffman Engineers, a Honolulu-based engineering consulting firm, once worked almost entirely underwater. For about three…
Helping Clients Develop a Personal Style
Name: Summer Shiige Job: Personal Stylist/Shopper Years of Experience: One year STARTING OUT: Shiige had always wanted to own her own business and, last year, after working in the retail industry for more than a decade, she started Summer Style,…
Elephants’ Pricey Home
It costs just $8 for Hawaii residents to see the animals at home in the Honolulu Zoo, but each of those homes can cost millions of dollars to create. In fact, zoo exhibits nationwide are expensive. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium…
Students and Lovers of the Ocean, Rejoice
Around 4 most mornings, I wake up and switch on my laptop. The first site I click is PacIOOS.org, an interactive and informative website that gives me all the real-time information I need to decide which surfboard to take to the beach that morning or whether I should stay in…
Luxury Double-Penthouse
When one penthouse isn’t enough, why not combine two? That’s what’s happened at One Ala Moana, the luxury tower being built above Nordstrom at Ala Moana Center, where a pair of condos recently fetched a combined price of $17 million, according to developer B.J. Kobayashi. One Ala Moana is…
Popular
Natsunoya Tea House Has Been a Gathering Spot for More Than a Century
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Lawrence Fujiwara is the third-generation owner of this historic landmark in ‘Ālewa Heights.
Service Printers Hawaii Still Flourishes Despite a Challenging Market
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Mother-and-daughter team Kathy and Jodie Yamashiroya run the family business – Hawai‘i’s only union printing shop.
