Hau'oli la Ho'omana’o Times Four

Four years ago today She Lives Aloha was officially recognized as a business. From that moment it took another five months before we were ready to ship our first Lives Aloha kit.

We had a simple mission—to bring back that magical feeling you have when you are in Hawaii. Whether it is the warm air, the salt water, or the scent of plumeria, my stress melts away the moment I set foot in Hawaii.

Running a small business is not an easy task, especially when you are looking to deliver a stress-free experience for your customers. If you want to read about some of my lessons as an entrepreneur, I recently did an interview with Subkit about my experience. The last four years didn’t exactly go as planned. Literally, two weeks after we launched my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was very grateful to travel to Hawaii with him one last time. We went to Maui and we brought back the famous Maui Sugar Mamas cookies, which are still requested every year.

My dad at his favorite spot in Maui, cheeseburgers in paradise.

If 2019 was a curveball, 2020 was an entirely different ballgame. The islands were shut down to outsiders, yet Hawaii has an economy heavily dependent on tourism. We did the best we could by creating quarterly kits curated with the best products from each of the islands. It was hard to pick a favorite. I loved the lavender spray from the Upcountry Maui experience. I love everything from Mailelani’s on Kauai. Collaborating with Moi Moi Market on the Big Island is always fun. My love for Hawaii grew even deeper after spending six weeks on Kauai at the end of 2020.

the uncrowded poipu beach in 2020.

As the world returned to ‘normal’ in 2021, things at She Lives Aloha were changing. My original co-founder, Lori, felt that entrepreneurship and motherhood weren’t a good mix for her. I underestimated the impact her leaving would have on me. It wasn’t the additional workload, but the lack of connection and collaboration that I really enjoyed. When you find a good partner, you bring out the best in each other. Last year was one of contemplation and reflection on how I should move forward without her.

Over the next couple of weeks, you are going to see changes coming. I will still be She Lives Aloha, but the place where you buy products will now be Hawaii at Home. I am excited about our new subscription offering, which will be just twice a year (in an effort to reduce shipping footprints) and contain even more premium brands rooted in Hawaii.

Until then, celebrate with us and have a Mai Tai! Hau'oli la Ho'omana’o (Sign up for our Mindful Monday emails to learn how to pronounce Happy Anniversary in Hawaiian.)