How do you define success?

Before Covid, I probably would’ve had a totally different answer but after such an incredibly long shut down and watching so many businesses go UNDER, not sure about Kaua‘i but I believe almost 50 percent of the small businesses closed for good. I believe getting through that and managing to keep most of our staff would be defined as a success.

What do you hope to see in your industry in the next 10 years?

In the next 10 years, we hope taxes do not increase like they have. We hope to see development curtailed until infrastructure can support new accommodations.

What do you love most about your job?

This sounds crazy simple but it’s true. The best moments at Whalers Cove are when we check our guests in and take them to their condo. They see the view and the reactions are amazing.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing your industry?

I think staffing shortages are impacting our industry and every industry on the island. Today I witnessed a mother telling her son the cost of living was so high on the island of Kaua‘i that she really recommended he look at options on the mainland even though he wanted to stay here.

I believe reports show that each year Hawai‘i is losing more and more residents due to the high cost of living and that affects every business that’s trying to hire. We have to find a way to lower the taxes in Hawai‘i so that more residents can afford to live here.

What are some words of advice for an exit strategy?

Honestly, I had one pre-Covid but this past three years has been a huge learning curve again and I’m rethinking that one.

What do you do for fun?

Photography is a passion and this location gives me so much to photograph. Going to the beach is always fun! I never get tired of our beautiful botanical garden right here in Poipu. And I strive to find moments to dance.

Describe your ideal day.

An ideal day would be everything going as planned. Even as I answer this, I realize that the variety this job provides me and the surprises excite me and keep me going.

What are some surprising lessons you learned in becoming a leader?

Empowering your staff is the most important lesson. When I lived on O‘ahu, I worked for HONBLUE and I had an amazing boss, Matt Heim. He encouraged me to leap to every level. That’s how I learned to be a leader and I will forever be grateful.

What are two of the most important milestones of your career?

Being selected as Advertising Woman of the Year by the Advertising Federation opened up a lot of opportunities for me, such a complete surprise. I will remember that evening forever. Next we recently received a TripAdvisor award that put us in the best of the best across the nation, a tribute to how hard our staff works!

How have you grown and pivoted in the past five years?

Looking out to the community and finding areas where you can help has been the most exciting thing I’ve done. I fell in love with our elementary school in our neighborhood and started working with them. And we found a small organization on the west side of Kaua‘i that has become very important to myself and my staff, and we will continue to help them.