What are some hard lessons you had to learn in becoming a female powerhouse?

Not everything that I had envisioned turned out how I had hoped. Not every opportunity provides equally for male and female counterparts. I had to learn the importance of being able to be both a teacher as well as a student in order for me to grow. Learning to adapt to the ever-changing elements in the corporate environment was key to moving up in my career. Equally important to celebrating my victories was embracing my defeats.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments in this career?

I was able to work for a Japanese company doing business in America for the first time. It was a 7,000 square foot luxury spa in Waikiki. I played a significant role in connecting all the necessary components from clearing all the spa equipment through customs, coordinating the logistics with the hotel, hiring and training staff on product knowledge and ensuring our entire team was on-point to showcase this anchor spa for the hotel chain. Together we were able to garner an award-winning spa in the first year after its opening. Today, that spa continues on with its excellence, and I’m proud to have been a part of its success.

What wardrobe choices make you feel the best in your workplace on the day-to-day?

Fashion is important to me as it is a statement of the person that I am and allows me to communicate volumes about myself. I choose pieces that build my self-confidence and sense of self-empowerment. Pieces that make me feel best in my workplace are suave but not workplace formal. Taking intentional command of how I dress and present myself was a huge steppingstone in empowering myself.

What do you do for self-care?

Self-care is a habit I actively form to make sure that I take care of myself each day. For my day-to-day self-care routine, I try to make sure that I’ve done the following at some point in the day: been outside, moved my body, engaged in a delightful conversation and sang a song super loud. Another way I practice self-care is to disconnect from everything and everyone and really enjoy my solitude—spa days are my favorite. Going for walks, swimming, going to a play and attending performances by our symphony are some of the things I do to re-energize myself.

How do you overcome fear?

Fear used to cripple me. I have since learned that, if I sit for a couple of minutes and take a look at what elements of the situation scares me the most, I can then embrace it and use that energy to analyze the options and make a wise and well thought out choice. If my fear is based on a lack of information, then I do my best to gain the knowledge rather than speculate. I give myself a time limit to sit in “fear” and then motivate myself to take action.