What do you do when you want to get out of “work mode”?
Snowboarding and cooking…I love when winter comes around and we can spend time in the mountains. I ride in the a.m. and work remotely when I can. It’s both grounding to see a different side of nature and takes my mind off the chaos we sometimes experience. It also makes you appreciate what we all have in Hawai‘i. My favorite food to make to turn off “work” is fresh handmade pasta to perfect my Pasta Carbonara. Pour a nice wine, sift flour on the counter, 100-percent handmade.
What’s one decision that completely changed the course of your career?
Leaving a career I was passionate about that I’d studied and worked towards for years to gamble on starting a business in Hawai‘i. I can’t imagine how life would’ve gone had I not taken that chance. Leaving the safety and security of that life to throw caution to the wind and move across the ocean to stake your claim. Fear wasn’t an option, just the hardest work and grinding it out you could imagine. I’ve been fortunate to build a great team at MBC and together we’ve made it something truly special.
Favorite pau hana spot on the island?
You know I can’t answer this one. Sundowner pau hana at the beach, Kami, Lui, and a good beer (no, not always just mine!).
Plate lunch order: What’s on it?
Easiest question of the day…Bowl of rice, ½ spicy ahi poke and ½ spicy pipikaula and of course a Bikini Blonde and Dragonfruit Seltzer…
Where’s your “secret spot” to disconnect and reset?
If I told you it wouldn’t be my secret so I’m keeping that for myself. I would say that a few months ago I realized how infrequently we’d been hitting the beach. I’d forgotten how healing the sun, ocean, and friends can recharge your being. We try to do a beach day once a week with our friends and Lui (our beloved rescue senior dog) to hit that “reset button”.
Describe your style in three words.
Simple, comfortable, and…branded. I do love a well fitting three-piece suit, however.
What’s something people always ask you for advice about?
Ninety-eight percent of the time I’m asked for advice on building a business like ours. It usually starts with building a brewery, brewing beer, financing, restaurants, etc. I think many believe it’s going to be easy because they’ve got a cool idea (sometimes). I give it to them straight and don’t hold back what it truly takes. I feel I’d be doing a disservice to those seeking advice to give them a false sense of hope. I like to think that if they still want to go forward after speaking to me, they MAY have the beginning of what it takes to succeed in their pursuit.
What does leaving a legacy mean to you?
Beyond my family, I’d like my legacy to be able to point to what we’ve created and say “yeah, we did that,” but more importantly the positive mark we’ve left in doing for others.
What’s one community initiative you’re passionate about?
I’ve been an advocate for real solutions to affordable housing for our people from the beginning. Whether it be affordable purchase or rental, we absolutely must do things differently. It’s been deflating at times to work towards these goals only to get blocked by the very people who’ve run politically on this as a platform. Instead, we now focus on areas that we can directly impact.
Recently we partnered with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) to build the Ohana Pilot Project to build ADUs (“ohanas”) on the properties of local families who lost their homes on Maui. The MBC Fire Fund along with Stable Road foundation and GEM so far have built and donated seven ohanas for these families to live in on their property while their main home is rebuilt. This has allowed these families to return to Lahaina and live in close proximity for the first time since the fires.
I believe that we don’t have Maui without its people so a primary focus should be getting people back in homes and re-establishing the greatness of Lahaina.
What’s your side hustle or creative outlet?
I love to fly. Started about 15 years ago as a hobby and got serious about getting my license in 2019.
Tell us a quick story that captures what this hobby/side gig means to you.
This started as a reliable way to travel between the islands to build our business (for a time it was also cheaper) but I realized how peaceful it was flying over our beautiful islands. You see Hawai‘i from a different perspective, the sea life we see from the sky, the formation of the islands. It is a serious skill that takes practice, focus, and continued learning. Your decision-making has profound implications. I love both the seriousness and the freedom that comes with flying.
What is it that you created that you are most proud of?
I’m very proud of what we created in Maui Brewing. Manufacturing, wholesale, and retail/restaurants. We gave Hawai‘i its beer, this was my vision more than 20 years ago. The jobs we’ve created, the impact we’ve had on our industry worldwide, and certainly the environment and our community.
I have to add that Kami and I are expecting our first child, our son later this year. This has dramatically changed my outlook on pretty much everything, so I’d say building a family will be my proudest.
