So I met a man who is currently taking care of his wife whom underwent a mastectomy recently... The exchange has upset me and I will tell you why. She opted to get reconstruction, which is your choice and is perfectly fine. For those who know me I had a preventative mastectomy without reconstruction... I just opted to go flat and not get implants or any other modifications. These are the choices that we make and ultimately you hope it is the best decision for you. Now what upset me was he started quoting to me the same things the doctors told me about getting reconstruction and encouraging implants. Words like: they were unhappy after going flat, they didn't like it, stats show most women won't like how they look and etc. I knew in my heart that I was going to be ok with not having any breasts and I didn't need anyone to convince me otherwise. What upsets me about this entire thing is people are perpetuating the concept that you need to be status quo or have breasts to feel normal. 

Here was a guy who was looking at me 2 year post-op (by the way I don't have any breasts or nipples) telling me that having a mastectomy without getting breast reconstruction was going to make me not like it, regret it and so on. No one seems to advocate for this option. I had to fight for it and was referred to several plastic surgeons to try and convince me otherwise. I did not want to spend many months having parts of my body inflated and have another surgery so I could have implants put in or spend 15 hours in surgery having parts of my body taken from one place and put in another. He even said that his wife spoke to other women about their experience and what it was like having the surgery and then having implants, which I did too. It seemed so problematic and no one was really happy with their results after the first try. But I haven't been put on a list for people to talk to when considering going flat... why don't they advocate for those who want to just be free and not have any more surgeries or problems. Why the need to try and convince me of what other people think is right?

I feel offended most of the time because people think I had cancer, when my surgery was aimed to prevent the disease... now I am made to feel as if what I did was not right, not the best choice and not normal? 

I am free, flat and fabulous and no one ever notices I don't have boobs!!! 

Avocado is a delicious buttery fruit that is quite versatile and contains many health benefits. Creamy in texture the fruit with the large seed in the middle is full of nutrients. Avocados are also a great source of vitamins like C, E, K and B. They include fatty acids as you know that are also great for sugar levels and blood stability. Overall avocados support the immune system, skin, heart health and aid with digestion. 

With that here are some out of the box recipe ideas when you have the yummy avocado ready to eat.

If you are new to entrepreneurship, agency work or been around for a while...chances are you will sign a contract with someone who will eventually become the dreaded "worst client ever." You might feel trapped, hopeless and frustrated, but there is a way to maintain your sanity while balancing what could very well be the hardest relationship of your career. Here are some tips to manage the cumbersome experience of dealing with someone who is difficult and challenging to work for. 

1. Rude clients - from time to time you'll encounter the client who doesn't have a filter and may come across as rude. If you internalize this you will have a harder time dealing with them. Simply acknowledge that this is how they communicate and understand that it isn't personal.
2. The client who doesn't respond - in this day and age with so many methods of communicating you will find clients who will drop off the planet for days or weeks and not respond to anything. Try to find the top 2 methods of communicating with that client that they tend to favor. If they prefer email and phone call then use those approaches. If they like text and online chat then use that. But know in your mind that you may not hear back and you may have to continually address them and ask them repeatedly if you don't hear back. 
3. The demanding client - If your client seems to take up all your time and demands so much of you, make sure the contract is clear and your terms are defined. If you prefer to only work Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, let your client know that you are not available during those times and that you will only be available during work hours. Try to make it crystal clear what you are willing to offer and don't allow them to push you beyond your scope. 
4. The client that expects the world but doesn't offer any guidance, support, content or information -  Instead of focusing on what you don't have and what they are not providing... be sure to tell them the solutions to what you need and have them select which option they think will work best. Also let them know what the negative impacts are if you continue the way you are without any help. Make them aware of the risks and what you need.
5. The client that changes their mind - Again make it clear what they are seeking, do follow up emails and lay out what it is they wanted. Be sure to address what it is that they are expecting and tell them what you are going to do exactly. If once they see it and they change their mind it should be clear what the additional charges are, change fees are and what other fees are appropriate. A good way to get around the trouble is to consider charging for your time instead of by project. That way you get paid no matter what. 
6. The client isn't happy with your work - For whatever reason the client may say they are unhappy with your work and it isn't what they expected or what they wanted. Hopefully you can negotiate for partial payment, payment ahead of time or even a trial period.
7. The client doesn't pay or doesn't pay on time - this can be a touchy subject but make your billing information accessible and understood prior to invoicing. If you don't receive payment in a timely manner try emailing or contacting the client to say it appears you haven't received payment and ask them to check. If payment does not come even after several reminders you can suspend service and/or start charging late fees. Of course you want to this to be a pleasant and un-insulting experience so be sure to see if your client is having difficulty and perhaps you can come up with a payment plan. (You won't believe this, but I actually received a check from a client over a year later after they ghosted me. Checks have expiration dates and if it takes that long to send the money... to me they can keep it - it was a small amount anyway.) If it is a large sum you may want to consider small claims court to get your money. If they do pay but are late...try to ask them what is best as far as billing. Perhaps there is a better time of the month or you can stop by in person to grab that check or do direct deposit. 
8. There are too many cooks in the kitchen - this can be extremely frustrating and having to answer and adapt to multiple people is very challenging. Try to only have one person as your primary contact and allow for just that one person to be the one to communicate with you.
9. The client that always wants to meet, chat, talk and etc - know your boundaries. I have had a client put my services on hold yet schedule calls, meetings and conferences for months. While you are not on retainer and not getting paid you don't have any obligation to this client. Looking back you may say this is a big waste of time... so be sure to assess what is an important call or meeting that is necessary of your time. Better yet discuss your contract prior to committing to this client. 
10. The client who swears at you or uses profanities to communicate or demean you - this is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. Always hold yourself in high regard and treat yourself and others with respect. If your client is swearing at you this is completely uncalled for and immensely disrespectful. You don't have to sit there and take it, be professional and be sure to address the situation with class. If you are still under contract see if you can get out of it, communicate that you will not stand to be treated that way or seek to terminate the agreement. 

Ah things are pretty much back to normal, people are gathering, having parties and potlucks are prevalent again.
​Here's a list of don'ts when it comes to putting together, participating in and arriving at your summer potluck occasion... crafted by yours truly. HA!

So... April is a challenging time for me. I had my preventative mastectomy on April 10, 2019... My mom passed away from breast cancer on April 16, 2018 and then a few weeks later Mother's Day rolls along. Emotions are high and I start to feel down. 

But, I am writing this today --- because if you follow me and know me, I really find it cathartic and healing for me to write how I feel and express my true emotions here --- I have been feeling so frustrated lately. And, I feel very badly about having these feelings but the main reason for this is every now and again I encounter someone via in-person, online or even by phone, they tend to ask me "how's your cancer." I feel badly because I do not have cancer. I think people don't understand that my choice to have this mastectomy was to prevent cancer. I understand this is a crazy concept and perhaps they don't really know what the word 'preventative' means. But, it does seem to wear on me when I find that others are somewhat disappointed to be incorrect and have a change of tone when they find out I was perfectly healthy and opted to have a surgery to hopefully prevent cancer. I did not have cancer... =(

For example. I have been interviewed by the media and 50% of the time the person who is interviewing me has been under the impression that I had cancer... then I have to explain what happened and they are so confused about it and say that isn't what they heard or that isn't the message that was conveyed to them. It makes me regret going public a bit with my story because I really don't want misinformation out there and I don't want to take away from the struggle and fight that actual cancer patients and cancer survivors go through. But, it is so challenging to make this clear for other people to understand and I think they will never understand unless they hear it from my mouth to their ears.

I expressed this regret (about sharing my story publicly) with my husband last night and he as always supports me 200% and says I have helped others out there in the world. I know this is true as I have been able to assist, counsel and guide others who were interested in mastectomy or also similar to me. it does warm my heart to see messages and emails from people who appreciate me sharing my story... so perhaps the message and the impact is really what matters most. 

I reached out to a woman like me who did the previvor surgery thing and she said she gets it all the time, people assuming she had cancer also. So I just have to stop overthinking this and continue on my journey. I already started posting less about it because I started to tire of the cancer comments, so I suppose I will just keep doing my thing and push forward. in any case, thank you for helping me find my way. 

Hi everyone! So sorry, it has been so long since I have touched base. Thankfully, things are very busy here and life is good. I've been thinking about a few things lately: 
1. How grateful I am for everything in my life. We really need to take a step back and be appreciative of everything that we have and even the aspects that we don't. Luckily, I am able to work every day and my husband is busy with work too. 
Da Best Hawaii is moving right along. This month featured noteworthy places where I narrated all the episodes. It was so easy and so much fun. I am looking at doing this again in the future. For now April shows are all sold out and featuring local businesses again... that is exciting. 
My new food blog site is growing, You Hungry Hawaii, you might recall this is where I wanted to place all my food reviews, experiences, previews, recipes and etc. It has been fun working on that. 
I have been doing a lot of voice work lately and even started commercial voice work for KITV. That has been a nice change to have something consistent every week. 
I have also been writing a lot too. MauiWatch has had some great pieces that I've put together, HILuxury has another awesome feature coming up in the next issue and I started writing for an international health and wellness magazine also. 
2. Everyone is getting the COVID vaccine and I am being mindful about those who are eligible and those who are not. It is taking a slow start to get this ball rolling, but at least it is going somewhere. Often when I am at a small gathering of sorts the topic comes up and many of us are all on the same page. 
3. I am approaching my second year anniversary from when I got my preventive mastectomy. I feel great and I also feel my body has adjusted completely. I ordered a special mastectomy bra the other day and returned it right afterwards. That thing did not suit my needs at all. 
4. Roxy is getting huge and almost too heavy to carry. I suspect she has hip dysplasia as she bunny hops when she runs and she also seems to have some mobility issues when she first wakes up. But she is doing ok and doesn't seem to be in any pain. She is still partially blind too but gets around a-ok. 
5. We had some major flooding lately, but we are alright. The main thing that happens out here is we get a lot of debris and mud. So after the floods we have to clean up for days, but it is fine. 
6. I haven't traveled anywhere.. but I have been eating out a lot. Daniel has also been cooking often too. We try to have different themes and it has been really delicious, cause everything he makes is amazing. 
7. I posted a video of " How to say the Hawaiian Islands correctly" and it got over 100K views on TikTok. LOL - I usually like to post whatever on TikTok to see how it does and that one went viral. 
Since I am on a roll, I will just make it 10 things...
8. I canceled a pro bono client only to take on another one. That's ok, I feel you need to give to get in return. I like to help others and this is something I am passionate about - so it'll be fun and not considered work really. But with that all my clients have been wonderful and we are a cohesive team! 
9. I still don't feel comfortable hugging some people. I especially don't appreciate those whom I don't really know coming in strong with the hugs. If I don't know you or if I don't even know your last name or phone number then I don't want to be hugged by you. Sorry, that is reserved for close friends and family only. 
10. I also feel we need to keep our guard up. Yes there is a vaccine now, but it is not a magic bullet, you can still get sick and we don't know enough about this virus to go back to how we lived before. I am still very cautious and very clean, always washing, don't touch your face, hand sanitizer and etc. I guess the good thing about all this is we all haven't gotten sick for over a year! All this good hygiene and social distancing has kept nearly everyone I know in great health. 

Wow, it is officially 2021 and time sure does fly by. It feels like just yesterday we were ringing in the big new 2020 year and had so much hope and optimism for the future. Well, I still do... we spent a lot of time at home and no time traveling at all, but that doesn't mean we can't still dream and set big goals for the future.

I've been thinking about my goals for this year a lot. At first, I didn't know what to focus on and was pretty content with how things have progressed over the past year. I often have ideas and write them down, sometimes I implement them and most of the time I don't. Now is the time to really focus on what I want to achieve this year and set my mind to it. 

1. I am going to change the format of Da Best Hawaii in March. Last year I took myself out of the show and was exclusively behind the camera. This year, I have been wanting to create a show that is narrated and has more of a travel showcase approach. So, for the month of March I am going to highlight local popular attractions and share videos with my voice over narrating the background and information about it. No interviews and no guests, just the video to speak for itself kind of. We will see how it goes. I am not sure if this is going to be less work or more work for me, but I have been interested in doing this for about a year and a half and have been wanting to showcase these places in this light.

2. My new platform You Hungry Hawaii will continue to grow. I want it to be a wonderful resource for the latest food adventures, news and recipes. I want it to inspire others to eat, support local and enjoy good food. It is also keeping me busy with my food photography which has been fun also. At first I wanted to write every week, now I feel a great sense of pressure and the slots are all filling up, so I think it will be a balance of just sharing photos and videos on social media with some articles and recipes, as much as I can keep up with anyway. Grow You Hungry Hawaii, grow!

3. My next major goal is to somehow be associated with the Food Network. I know this is a big one and I know I can eventually get there, it may not happen this year, but I am setting my sights on either writing for them, being featured by them or having some sort of association. I have written for the Forbes Travel Guide, been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and wrote for Where Traveler also. I want to make it my goal to say that I have been featured, shared, mentioned, something --- with the Food Network. If it's a video I took or with me in it, I don't care,  the same goes for if it is a photo I took or of photo with me in it, I feel like this is an attainable goal. Side note Food Network followed me on Twitter a few years back... I know this is achievable! 

So overall, my goals this year are mainly professional... and pertain to my production and media work. I think this is good because this is what i am passionate about and it makes me happy too. Plus, who wouldn't be happy to share the beauty of Hawaii with the world and eat delicious food! 

Originally written in April 2015 for Frolic. 
Wheel of Fortune has long been the most-watched game show in Hawaii … and one of the most successful in American history. Even now, as I did growing up, at 6:45 p.m. I can hear the soft ping and spin of the wheel resonating through my neighborhood.
Hawaii residents have grown to love Pat Sajak and Vanna White like family. I had the honor of meeting them and the rest of the Wheel team when they were taping promos for the Hawaii shows last year. They were genuinely nice people, so very humble and funny, and they love coming to Hawaii!
How many of us dream of getting on the show? This became reality for a local couple during the Hilton Waikoloa Village show tapings last year. The episode that aired in February was part of a couples show that was aimed at celebrating a second honeymoon sweepstakes and showcasing local couples who auditioned, then were tested, then cast. Much to my surprise a fellow professor at Hawaii Pacific University made it onto the show with her husband by her side.

Originally written in Dec 2014 for Frolic Hawaii. 
​Whether you like them fresh or fake, Christmas trees are in full bloom. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, with all the cheer, lights, decorations and gifts. I always look forward to purchasing a real Christmas tree. Like most, I love the smell and the process of picking out a tree, bringing it home, setting it up and decorating it.
Did you know there are only two Christmas tree farms in Hawaii, and one of them is on Oahu? Helemano Farms is nestled in Whitmore Village and known for its bounty of Norfolk Pine (Hawaiian Christmas) trees and the more traditional looking Leyland Cypress trees. What you may not realize is the farm is currently in the midst of experimenting with nine new varieties of trees. “We do have trees with (a mild pine) scent, but not compared to a Douglas,” owner Aaron O’Brien said. “We are looking for another tree that is affordable to grow in Hawaii.”
Visiting the farm is all about the experience. It involves interacting, communicating, touching, searching and finally selecting the perfect tree. I recommend you go and peruse the farm for free; the local workers would be happy to give you a tour. Here’s a look at how to get there, what they are experimenting with, what you can expect, and why I think it’s better to buy a locally grown Christmas tree.

So... over the past few years there have been some buzzwords that marketing executives seem to be obsessed with. It began with blog, moved on to millennial and for some time now everyone and their mother wants to be an influencer. Let's start with the basics, what is an "influencer" what does this even mean. Well, the word influence means (n) the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something or the effect itself; (v) have an influence on. An influencer is defined as a person or thing that influences another; (marketing) a person with the ability to influence potential buyers or a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media. So there you have it. Many celebrities have been known to utilize their popularity and influence to encourage others to make purchases or to broaden awareness of a product, brand or event. Thus influencer marketing was born. 

So, why am I writing a blog about this topic and why do I consider myself not to be an influencer? Well let me explain why:

1. Some might say I am a public figure. My past and current accolades have led me to where I am today... an entrepreneur, a writer, a television personality and producer, former news anchor, previous Miss Hawaii and etc... I am an expert in some fields, notably communication and marketing, especially social media as this is my profession, but I am not an expert at everything. What I share is simply my opinion and with that it should be taken as my perspective, my personal opinion and my experience. Not everything that I encounter will have the same impact on others. 
2. My friends and followers want authentic content. It seems less appealing when posts are meant to sell or advertise something. I have noticed that my friends appreciate when the content is sincere, from the heart and not sales-driven. I notice that those promotional posts don't do as well as real, unsponsored and truthful posts. Granted when someone sent me a product or gave me something to try I was truthful about it and etc. But it just seems so forced and insincere from an outsider looking in perspective. 
3. I receive inquiries from around the world daily asking if they can send me product or have me review something and post about it. These pitches are very one-sided, they want me to promote their product. But they don't promote me and my values or beliefs. Yes, i will receive a package in the mail with some stuff in it, but it really only benefits the product to be shared and seen by more people. 
4. I've done the paid promotion thing and it doesn't work. I had an agreement with a company to receive product, post about it and I would get paid for it... well guess what? I never received payment. And on top of all that you create all this content... photos, videos, posts and etc and 90% of the time you are the only one posting it. The other side -- the business, location or the product doesn't share it or repost it, so you don't get any promotion on their end. And later, I've even seen my images and my posts/content created for the product and it is magically posted on their pages with no credit given. 
5. It takes a lot of effort to create content as an influencer. First and foremost you need to brainstorm what you will shoot and produce, then put on makeup, do my hair, pick-out the outfit and drive down there.  Then record videos and bring along another photographer to take pictures and videos, then edit the videos and come up with the date to post, the time and what to say. It's exhausting right? On top of that you often have to have the posts pre-approved and caption approved and then execute the post and then report the analytics of said post. How did it do, how many people saw it, how many people did it reach. One little post on a page takes days of time and effort to create and execute. This is so time consuming. 
6. Now the dreaded question... what if you don't like the product? Well you are invested and committed and are now somewhat responsible for promoting it. If it is junk... then your credibility is compromised. Unfortunately your face and name are now associated with that product since you endorsed and advocated for it. If you are in the midst of trying it out and don't like it you could always say it isn't for you and then not post about it. But it truly does make for awkwardness, because of the implied responsibility discussed prior. 
7. What I do and what I experience is not meant to encourage or influence others to do it too. If anything I do want to engage with others and share with them my story with the hope that it will inspire and motivate them. But I do not want to live this life hoping that people do exactly what I do or buy exactly what i buy. That just doesn't make any sense. 
8. I am not in it for the money. I started showcasing local eateries on my IG where I would anonymously purchase food and eat it then talk about it how delicious it was on camera for Tasty Tuesday. I would purchase the food and show up on my own with a face mask on and receive no special treatment. I did this because I wanted to support local businesses and also to share interesting foodie tid bits and finds with others. I was spending money and going out of my way to showcase these places, so obviously I am not in it for the money.
9. I don't want to be locked in, obligated or forced to do anything. This is why I am my own boss and I make my own schedule. When it comes to having to allow for things to be approved or consent given beforehand I get a little sharp pain in my neck, because I am so used to doing my own thing and I don't care for people telling me what they think I should do, say or feel.
10. Lastly, I am not an influencer because I don't care about selling or influencing anything. I mainly care about being a good person, sharing positivity and also potentially inspiring others to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing. You don't need products, you don't need subscriptions and you don't need inauthentic social media to guide you in this life. I rather just hope that my posts, my story and my passions keep me happy and if along the way it makes others happy too - then that is just a bonus.