When did you realize hospitality was your calling, not just your career?
I realized my passion for hospitality through my early experiences working at the Sheraton Moana as a valet and busboy, as well as my internship at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Working alongside great teams while creating memorable experiences for our guests left a lasting impression on me, and I knew this was my calling.
How has growing up or living in Hawaiʻi influenced the way you serve others?
Growing up in Hawaiʻi has had a tremendous impact on how I approach both life and work. Examples of values you develop here—hoʻokipa, mālama, and kuleana—come from family, friends, and our host culture, and they become part of everything you do. Hoʻokipa teaches you to serve with genuine warmth, not scripted service. Mālama reminds you to care for the people, places, and businesses entrusted to you. Kuleana grounds you in responsibility to your team, your guests, and your community. These values are at the core of who I am, and they guide me each day at work and at home.
What is a personal value you refuse to compromise in business?
Integrity. In hospitality and business, trust is everything. Your word must mean something, and owners, partners, employees, and guests need to know you will always do the right thing even when it’s the difficult choice.
What daily habit keeps you grounded?
A daily commitment that has kept me grounded and centered throughout my life is taking a moment or two each day to be with my own thoughts in meditation and prayer. It gives me clarity before making decisions and perspective on the difficult days. In an industry that never stops moving, that quiet time is what allows me to show up fully for the people who depend on me.
How do you balance family, personal life, and the demands of hospitality?
Hospitality, as we all know, is a 24/7 business, but it is essential to keep things in balance to be highly productive each day. It is a difficult task, and it is in no way perfect. I strive to put family first and make sure there is time to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. I believe you have to be in a good place yourself in order to perform at a high level especially when you are asking others to do the same.
What is something you once feared in your career that you now embrace?
Early in my career, I wanted to succeed at everything with the goal of advancing, and I feared failure at every turn. Over time, I have grown to embrace it. If you never fail, you probably aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. Failing fast, pivoting quickly, and managing risk intelligently became core lessons for me, and they are lessons I now pass on to the teams and owners I work with.
What does leadership look like to you behind closed doors?
Behind closed doors, leadership is consistency. It’s being the same person in a private conversation that you are in front of the team—remaining genuine and, at times, even vulnerable. It means having hard conversations with care, taking responsibility when things go wrong rather than assigning blame, and giving credit away when things go right.
How do you inspire your team when morale feels low?
The first step is being present. When morale dips, teams don’t need a speech. They need to see their leaders in the operation with them, listening and working alongside them. I try to understand what’s actually weighing on people rather than assuming I already know. From there, it’s about reconnecting the team and reminding them of the impact they have on each other and on our guests, and celebrating the small wins that are easy to overlook during hard stretches. I also believe in being honest about where we stand as people can tell the difference between being managed and being led. Morale recovers when people feel seen, heard, and valued. Ultimately, the team needs to know you have their back when things get tough, and that we will persevere if we stick together and depend on each other.
What legacy do you hope to leave within Hawaiʻi’s hospitality community?
I hope to leave a legacy of developing people and strengthening businesses in a way that honors this place. Hawaiʻi’s hospitality industry is only as strong as the local talent we grow and the values we protect, and I want to be remembered as someone who invested in both. If the leaders I’ve mentored go on to build teams rooted in aloha, and the businesses I’ve helped continue to serve our community long after I’m gone, that would be the greatest measure of success. Ultimately, I hope my work reflects a deep respect for our host culture and a genuine commitment to the people of Hawaiʻi because that is what hospitality here should always be about.
