How do you give back to your community?

I have made it a priority to mentor young adults for many years now. My firm offers student internships through organizations such as the collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMAUHM) and B.E.S.T. (Business Executive Society of Tomorrow) at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s Shidler College of Business. I am also a member of the Rotary East Honolulu, and I’ve routinely served as a judge for Miss Hawaii, which provides scholarship and professional development opportunities for women in Hawaiʻi.

What does giving back mean to you?

With nearly 30 years of experience in the field of marketing, it feels right to take the time to impart the knowledge I’ve gained to the next generation. It means a great deal to me to know I’m playing my part to perpetuate success among Hawaiʻi’s future business and community leaders. Beyond mentoring, participating in groups like Rotary and Miss Hawaii allows me to throw a wider net of support to worthy organizations that play important roles in our communities. Giving back invigorates me.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that my job allows me to create quality relationships. What I’ve found is many relationships initiated through work eventually transform into personal friendships that continue for decades. I also love that I can be creative every day of the week, imagining and building new campaigns from the ground up to meet the needs of our clients. I love to work on concepts from scratch—conceptualizing, planning, and executing with excellence.

What inspires you?

There is no doubt about it—people inspire me! Perhaps that’s why I enjoy surrounding myself with all types of people on a daily basis. In business, it’s so inspiring to see people coming together for a common cause. I am also inspired by having the ability to be an entrepreneur for so long, paving my own road as I go. I am inspired by trust, integrity, and character. These “qualities of the heart” inspire me to produce the best work possible for the benefit of my associates, our clients, and the community.

What made you better from the Covid-19 pandemic?

I am proud and humbled to say our agency emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever. Like everyone else, we were challenged greatly. Now we know we are capable of things far beyond what we thought. We learned we could adapt our business protocols within days to respond to the ever-changing needs of not only our own business but also those of our clients. The pandemic exposed areas of strengths and weaknesses in our staffing and operations, and we made some tough choices accordingly. Even as the crisis unfolded, we were able to build on the strengths of our core team. It was time to sink or swim, and we found the true meaning of ʻohana as we navigated the tumultuous waters.