Describe yourself in 3 words:
Dedicated, optimistic, and trusting. I am fiercely loyal and dedicated to people I hold dear to my heart. This has come to include my colleagues at work—some of whom I’ve worked with for over 23 years now at Neiman Marcus Hawaii. We’ve weathered some storms and celebrated many wins together both professionally and within our own personal lives, which has helped to create a strong bond. I’m fortunate to be working with some of the most talented and amazing people in the retail industry. I also tend to be quite optimistic and trusting. I strive to see the positive in situations in people and always try to give those around me the benefit of the doubt.
How do you manage stress and self-care?
I’ll be the first to admit this is something I am continually working to improve. With two young children and a hectic schedule, I’ve sort of neglected my own needs until recently. My family bought me a new Apple watch for Christmas, which came with a free Apple Fitness Plus trial, so I finally started taking advantage of the great variety of classes available. I especially love the dance fitness classes to get me going in the morning and the meditation exercises to calm and ground me in the evening. I also like to treat myself to a massage or spa service every now and then.
Did you always want this career track?
I’ve always loved retail and shopping but never dreamed of a full career in this industry. While working towards my double major in International Business and Marketing at UH Manoa, I knew I wanted to utilize my Japanese fluency in a marketing or business capacity. I never imagined that I would be utilizing my language skills and field of study in such a robust way while being surrounded by the best luxury merchandise in the world! My job marries my skill sets with my love of food and fashion—it’s truly a dream come true.
What are two of your proudest accomplishments of your career?
Receiving the Retail Employee of the Year Award from Retail Merchants of Hawaii in 2016 and being asked to participate in this year’s Women in Business issue!
Biggest sacrifice for your career.
I’m probably living my sacrifice right now. A career in retail can create quite a busy schedule. This coupled with the need for after-school childcare has my husband and I working on opposing days so that we don’t lean on our parents too often to watch our kids. It can be a little challenging not having days off together as often as we’d like, but we make the best of it by spending quality time in the evenings when I return home or on Sunday mornings before I go to work. That’s why we relish vacation time as our opportunity to really bond and create lasting memories.
If you could tell your younger self some advice, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self to put yourself out there and get to know people on a deeper level. I began my career at Neiman Marcus immediately out of college and often felt intimidated in engaging our very affluent and successful clients. My strong Asian upbringing also conditioned me to provide polite and respectful service but not necessarily to engage in a lot of conversation. In my more recent (older) years, I’ve become much more comfortable in the Art of Conversation and have learned the value of creating meaningful connections with people. I would also tell my younger self to take the time to network with other professionals, as it helps enrich professional development and provides incredible opportunities.
