ISSUE 4 // FLOW 2.0 [WINTER 2015] by HNL FLOW

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOUNDING EDITOR IN CHIEF VINA CRISTOBAL

CO-FOUNDER/ FINANCIAL DIRECTOR PETER CHENG

MARKETING/PR RAELYN BATACAN GIRLIEH MAE BARIT

WRITERS SASHA ANDERSON RAELYN BATACAN CHELAN CRANE ELLISE KAKAZU ASHLEY ONZUKA

PHOTOGRAPHERS STARR BENSON BRITTANY REIS SHAWN SAITO

VIDEOGRAPHERS ASHLEY ADRIANO RACHEL KAMITA KAHEALANI UEHARA

FRONT COVER: DESIGN: VINA CRISTOBAL PHOTOGRAPHER: BRITTANY REIS MODEL: COURTNEY CAZIMERO-GRAY FEATURED DESIGNER: NATURAL VIBE CLOTHING

a word from the editor Happy New Year, Flow Fam! So I wanted to do the first-ever Video from the Editor, in place of the traditional Letter to the Editor that you often find in magazines - just one of the many changes that has happened since our first issue launched last April. That way, it can be more interactive and casual, and you can actually place a voice to a face while viewing the Letter to the Editor (or in this case, a video).

The new year is all about changes. Rather than only staying true to the old, let’s also get acquainted with the new. We introduced a new logo, with thanks to Mark Galacgac. We just finished helping with the coordination of “Blessed,” a benefit concert hosted by Jon Jon Ulep from Glorified Supply Company (Issue 1). So many things have happened.

While we’re featuring friends we made in 2014, we’re also introducing those we’re just getting to know in 2015. They’re eager to tell you their stories, each one more unique as the pages turn. We plan to become bigger and better this year. And if we are or aren’t doing our job, let us know at hnlflow@gmail.com or go on any of our social media to interact with us! We’d love to hear your feedback. And we hope you’ll “go with the flow” in the next year. Best, Vina Cristobal Founding Editor-in-Chief

FLOW JAMS: VOL. 4 NOW AVAILABLE ON SOUNDCLOUD

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN WHILE YOU R EAD.

FEATURING

streetlight cadence the bougies prie

ONE WITH THE OCEAN

TEXT: ASHLEY ONZUKA PHOTOS: BRITTANY REIS

*Editor’s Note: Brittany Reis actually conducted the interview with Koa, but Ashley Onzuka wrote the article based on audio transcriptions from the interview. Va’akoamaikalani Elijah “Koa” Aluli, founder of Ocean Therapy Collective, is the most down-to-earth person you’ll ever meet. His main goal with Ocean Therapy Collective is not to see its logo everywhere, but to feel its positive vibe everywhere. After multiple attempts to write an article to accurately capture the essence of Koa’s words, I decided to have you, the readers, feel the humble depth to what Ocean Therapy Collective truly is. Ashley Onzuka: What is the mission statement of Ocean Therapy Collective? Koa Aluli: The mission statement is that the ocean is healing and we believe that no matter what you do, whether it’s surfing, swimming or just looking at the ocean. We’re about spreading the word about how the ocean can heal all things. It’s to spread awareness. That’s kind of one of the things that we’re going to embark on here soon - teaming up with certain nonprofits to help kids get in the water. AO: What do you want people to feel about Ocean Therapy Collective? Koa: I want them to feel that it’s a lifestyle and that we all live as ocean people. We utilize that to basically get away from our struggles whether that’s mental or physical. I want it to be that it’s not just one person’s company or a person, I want it to be noticed that it can be all of us who believe in the same thing that the ocean is healing and that we do utilize it in that way. It’s not

a clothing company. It’s more of a lifestyle brand. It’s all about the feeling and what the ocean brings to you, whatever that may be. It’s not about the clothing, it’s about the feeling. AO: What is the significance of “lifestyle in the ocean and healing through it” (referring to Aluli’s Instagram bio)? Koa: The way we will start doing here in 2015 is to heal through the ocean with our new project called “Ocean Waves Healing.” We will be teaming up with some nonprofits to spread that to the kids and the community. AO: What is the significance of “rooted in the ocean- humbled by mother nature” (referring to Aluli’s Instagram bio)? Koa: “Rooted in the ocean” and “humbled by mother nature” is simply explaining how I’ve grown through my life, Growing up, I had a lot of, you know, trials and tribulations and falling short or not making it or making it. With that, with the ocean by my side and mother nature being present all the time, the ocean is my root but I’m constantly healed and humbled by mother nature because it’s everywhere you are. It’s about connecting with people that believe in it and who are really about it. AO: Who is your greatest inspiration? Koa: Who inspired me was [the life of] my brother. That’s definitely one of my biggest inspirations. Constantly looking at positive things in life is my outlook, period. And a lot of this stems from when I lost a brother, my older brother, when he was just 22 years old. I was only a freshman, 15 years old. He became mentally ill and he was a pro-surfer, straight-A student at Kamehameha, full-blown you know? It all pretty much, that’s where I could say, that’s what I meant to say that it’s apart of the inspiration. It's that. In losing my brother, I turned to the ocean

because my parents were also separated. It’s what we hear too often these days, that the kids are really left to find their own way. I’ve been fending for myself since I was 8 years old. You know, my mom was working all the time, my dad was nowhere to be found. But really, that’s where this is a big part of my outlook on life. The fact that now he’s in Heaven and now he’s healed; he’s not suffering, he’s now himself. And definitely my mom because she taught me to look at the positives in the most negative things. AO: What drives you to continue OTC? Koa: My inspiration. Really to just spread the word of how the ocean can heal anything. I really believe that. AO: Describe the designs of OTC. Koa: So, majority of our designs - all of them except the original one - are designed by my friend Kenny Vidinich (One Vibe Studios) and we definitely need to give him a shoutout because he’s the man. But anyways, the visions behind them are to involve the ocean and kind of capture your eye with the words itself: "rooted in the ocean- humbled by mother nature.” It’s more about the message and that’s where I’m trying to head with it. AO: If you had to describe OTC in 3 words, what would they be? Koa: Ocean. Waves. Healing. AO: Where do you want to see OTC in the future? Koa: Worldwide. Spreading a worldwide movement of people who believe in the same thing.

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING Funded by generous contributions from the Hogan Family Foundation, this is a practical program that provides in depth learning through contact with Hawaii’s entrepreneurs. The small class size is designed to provide careful nurturing. We aim to prepare students to start and do new things-wherever their careers may lead them.

Hogan Entrepreneurs Program Features • China and India study missions • Learn the art of persuasion • Network with business leaders • Excellent mentoring and coaching • Internship opportunities • Lifelong friends, mentors and memories

website: http://www.chaminade.edu/hogan phone: 808-440-4280 email: hogan@chaminade.edu youtube: search “Hogan Entrepreneurs”

Blessing others is a blessing in itself. The Blessed Project (stylized as “BLSD Project”) hopes to shed light on Hawaii’s communities by igniting a movement of compassion. This project gives everyone a chance to have a positive impact on our youth. With every BLSD shirt that is purchased, a shirt is given to a child in need. The Blessed Project is all about blessing others, one shirt at a time. Here, we speak to Stacy Potes, co-founder of The Blessed Project. Q: What’s the story behind the Blessed Project, how did you come up with this idea? Stacy: The Blessed Project started in a moment. When I was sitting in my house, looking around and realizing that I’m so blessed to have my family, a house, and food everyday.

I realized that life is not always going to be that feeling when you are always so happy and everything is going well in your life. So I wanted to remember it, that moment. So I decided to actually tattoo my wrist. So I did this (preceded to show the tattoo that simply, yet beautifully, stated “blessed”), just to remind me that even when life is not going so well, we are so blessed. So that’s how it all started. Q: What does being blessed mean to you? What is your definition? Stacy: Being blessed is realizing all of the things that you have, that you might take for granted, but others don’t have. Their thinking about wanting those things all the time, but we’re able to have them everyday. Also, to me... being blessed is the feeling of blessing others. Not just realizing that your blessed, but being able to in turn help someone out in that way, in that area.

Q: So when someone purchases a shirt, you give one to someone else in need, is that how it works? Stacy: Yeah, so with every purchase of a shirt, we keep track of the numbers and then we give a shirt to a child in need. We try to focus our giveaway shirts on children. How that works is... we try to target one community at a time. We partner with different organizations. The first one was in Wahiawa through Surfing the Nations, which is one of the biggest food drive distributors in Hawaii. We just went out during their food distribution, looked for all children, and then passed out shirts to them.

From the company's Kaka'ako shirt drop. Credit: Nalu Rivera

Q: How much shirts would you say, the Blessed Project has given away so far? Stacy: So far we’ve done three shirt drops, so Wahiawa, Waipahu, and Kaka’ako. I think around 300 shirts. We did a Kalihi shirt drop. That was on December 18th. We planned to give at least 100 on that alone. [Editor’s Note: At the Kalihi shirt drop, BLSD Project actually gave away approximately 40 shirts to children in need.]

Q: The BLSD merchandise can be primarily purchased through the online store [click here]. Is it also available in boutiques around the island? Stacy: We are not in any stores. We are trying to figure it out…it’s hard since we are giving a shirt away, but we are at Art & Flea every month.

Q: As you mentioned, you primarily give away shirts to children. Why do you focus on the youth rather than the older demographic? Stacy: The reason for that is... I’m a teacher at Leilehua, so I’ve come across students that can’t do their work because they don’t have school supplies or they can’t focus because they haven’t had anything to eat all day. So that kind of softened my heart for the youth. Another reason why is...I feel that if we can impact the youth that are in need, they can break the cycle. They can take it as a learning experience and see some hope and positivity in their lives. Maybe they’ll find inspiration to try and be better people themselves.

Some of the kids that the BLSD Project have helped. Credit: Nalu Rivera

Q: How would you describe the feeling of giving back to the community and the youth? Stacy: Yeah! That feeling is something that I wish everyone could feel. It’s something that’s really addicting. If I could do that everyday, that’s what I would do. So my goal is to get everyone to experience that at least once because I think that we can make a change in Hawaii with that feeling. Q: Is there a motto that you live by or something that drives you to make an impact in other people’s lives and the community? Stacy: Yeah, basically we’re blessed so we can bless others. We want to kind of start a movement through that - so kindness, compassion, and giving. People can join in on that movement by either purchasing a shirt or even doing something. They might hear about the project and then the next day they do something nice for someone else. It doesn’t have to be a monetary thing - just that spirit in them is what we can hopefully spread. Q: Is there anything else you want to let the community know? Stacy: I don’t do it alone. We have a team that comes out and helps my husband [Kelly Potes] and I.

Kelly Potes (left, in white), Stacy Potes (far right, in green) and the BLSD Project volunteer team. Credit: Nalu Rivera

Q: Is the team just volunteers or do you know them personally? Stacy: Kind of both. We know them personally and they come out just because they are kind people that want to help the communities. Q: If there are people that want to help, how would they go about it? Do they just contact you? Stacy: Yes! They can contact the Blessed Project through our website, email, or Instagram.

text: vina cristobal // photos courtesy of aloha dreamboard

DREAM, DREAM, DREAM

Founder Tiare Thomas of Aloha Dreamboard strives to help people make their dreams come true through a fun and simple activity. PHOTO: Aloha Dreamboard

Days before the New Year began, I began to see the endless gaggle of people penning their New Years’ resolutions to become “better people.” You know the typical: losing a ton of weight, resolving things with their significant other, hiking to the top of Mount Fuji. Stuff like that.

Add title.

In ‘Forbes’ magazine, “just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions.” Most of us strive to be part of that statistic each year, but struggle due to life’s various circumstances. Fortunately, Hawaii-based motivational coach Tiare Thomas has the solution to make sure people’s goals are met.

With Aloha Dreamboard, Thomas ensures that her clients achieve their goals the right way through a series of monthly dreamboard workshops she holds at the Akakura House in Waikiki. These dreamboards - more commonly called “vision boards” - are board-filled collages embedded with designs and images from old magazines and books. These images would relate to a certain goal or goals that an individual wanted to achieve, regardless of the time frame of the goal or the number of steps to reach those goals.

When a close friend of Thomas, Noelani Love (yoga studio owner and jewelry designer), invited her to make a dreamboard at a friends house in 2009, Thomas had just come out of a series of overwhelming challenges in her life, so she was happy to join. So Thomas took the leap of faith, and that’s where the vision began. “[Love] said, you know this is a great way to figure out our new goals in life,” she said. “So I was inspired to do it. Once we actually did our dream board, everything started coming true really really quickly [within the first two weeks]...it was almost scary to me because I wasn’t used to manifesting things so quickly, and it started to help me in a lot of ways, like building my confidence, and believing more in myself. "Because my dreamboard was helping me so much, I began to share it with close friends of mine who were going through trials and tribulations of their own. I enjoyed sharing this tool with them, because I saw how happy it made them. After a while, my friends began to tell me that if I were to do workshops, I could share dreamboarding with others who also may need help and are looking to reset their goals and dreams."

In 2010, Thomas kickstarted her own dreamboard workshops, which were mainly held at Fresh Cafe. Thomas also hosted workshops at Iolani School and Kapiolani Community College. Finally, she launched Aloha Dreamboards in mid-2014 - a dream come true for a young entrepreneur like Thomas.

Some of the dream boards from one of Thomas's workshops, "Champagne Dreams." PHOTO: Aloha Dreamboard

“It was so awesome. I couldn’t have asked for a better launch party,” said Thomas, who gushed about the success of her launch party on January 4. "We held it at Akakura House, a new location I teach my workshops at. I was so happy to have so many amazing people with positive intentions all in one room. Clients, Kecia Littman, Noelani Love, Erik Harris, Britt Yap, McKenna Maduli, Angela Maki Vernon got to share their testimonials, their trials and tribulations and whatnot, and ideas of what to do after the workshop. That was a dream come true for me, not only to to establish Aloha Dreamboard, LLC. as a business, but also to have a group of like minded individuals to share and connect with each other their personal experiences and inspire each other for positive growth.”

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS: Clients take interesting designs and images that relate to their goal and bond over their shared motivation to achieve their goals. On the right, Tiare (right) is pictured with a client at her official Aloha Dreamboards launch event. PHOTOS: Aloha Dreamboard To add some spice to her workshops, Thomas played with various themes and collaborated with individuals in her community. For example, she would work with a yoga instructor on having a joint event in which guests would do dreamboarding for the first part, then flow into a yoga session. It “fuses in really beautifully,” Thomas said. Aloha Dreamboard workshops are centered around the concepts of feng shui bagua (an “energy map”), which covers nine different areas - including health, love, and family/friends. Thomas explains, “In 2011 we implemented the Feng Shui bagua into the dreamboard process because the ancient Chinese belief organizes your living space to increase the energy flow or ‘chi’. This creates more structure and a more harmonious flow to the dreamboard process. It is also a great way to organize and prioritize one’s life goals.”

As she realized her dreams were coming true, she witnessed the successes of her clients. From landing the dream job to entering a new relationship, the luck that Thomas had with her first dreamboard had now spread to people she worked with.

"It almost is [like magic],” she said. "Sometimes we just don’t think about it, but then when you go back to your dream board, it holds you accountable and it reminds you what you asked for. We ask for a lot, you know? It’s nice to be reminded.” When asked about how Thomas feels about not having other dreamboard based companies on the islands to learn from and help structure her business, her response was, "It’s fun!”. "Just like running any other business, there are challenges. I’m challenged to trust my intuition and to trust the universe on the fact that what I’m doing is the right thing. I’m grateful to have an amazing support group. My family, close friends, and other business owners are people I learn from, and ask for their advice. I love bouncing off ideas with them. And my clients, I also learn a lot from my clients. 2014 was a great year for us, and our Marketing Director, Kamalei Grace, has played a big part in that. Her creative ideas and focus on building Aloha Dreamboard, LLC. has helped to take our business to the next level.”

So for those who feel more motivated than ever to jumpstart their goals are encouraged to come to the dreamboard workshops, but Thomas believes that a transformation comes “when you’re ready.”

Part of Aloha Dreamboard' s vision is to help others to visualize their goals. PHOTO: Aloha Dreamboard

“You don’t need to bring anything but yourself, your presence, and an open mind. I will guide you through the dreamboard process. And as for people who have taken my workshops, to continue to believe in themselves and believe in their dreams, and be open to infinite possibilities. Practice detachment, and come into things with no expectations. It’s okay to ask, but it’s also more beneficial to let any expectations go.”

[For more information on events, event registration and prices, head over to alohadreamboard.com or check out Aloha Dreamboard on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.]

Thomas (center, in lavender) and a group of her clients at one of her dreamboard workshops. PHOTO: Ja Tecson/Aloha Dreamboard

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HOUND AND QUAIL

Amongst the countless mom-and-pop shops that line the streets of Chinatown lies arguably one of the city’s most mysterious hidden gems – Hound & Quail. Founded in 2011 by owners Mark Pei and Travis Flazer, Hound & Quail is certainly not your average shop, but rather a “collection of curiosities.” During my visit to Hound & Quail, I spotted odd items such as a preserved owl and an eerily real autopsy table. As a full time pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, Mark is able to take advantage of layovers by hunting for unique objects to add to the shop, meaning that not everything you see in the shop is necessarily from Hawaii. Travis, who works at Punahou School, happens to love animals. He often finds it hard to sell their beloved taxidermies, which are real animals that have been preserved and stuffed to still look very real.

Left: Travis Flazer (left) and Mark Pei (right) at their original Kapiolani Blvd. location in 2013. [Credit: Sarah Pacheco of HILuxury]; Right: A taxidermy of a wolf, which is perched at the center of their Chinatown store.

An inside look at Hound & Quail, located on Maunakea St.

Both Mark and Travis, who met at a haunted tour of Honolulu, also visit local estate sales and flea markets in search of new oddities; however, lately a lot of their items have been coming from people who actually get in contact with them, which is great in terms of staying connected with their customer base. Mark and Travis are constantly on the lookout for bizarre items for Hound & Quail, but they do it because they simply find joy in doing so. In fact, they sometimes get their hands on items that they love too much to see go. But at the end of the day, no matter how quirky an item may be, Mark and Travis have found that all of their items do eventually sell. It is just a matter of waiting for the right owner to find his treasure.

“We like vintage stuff and unusual stuff,” Mark said. “We don’t really like being labeled as an antique store. It’s more of a curated oddities kind of thing. We won’t have any grandma type stuff here. We want everything here to be unique and fun.”

Not only does Hound & Quail offer the community a unique place to shop, but it also stands as a unique place to observe and appreciate art. Hidden in the corner of the beautifully arranged and decorated shop is a staircase that leads down to ‘The Outpost,’ which is a new concept for Hound & Quail. ‘The Outpost’ is a basement gallery that, in other words, is basically a permanent space that is used to hold events and art shows. "We just wanted a versatile space that could be whatever we want it to be because space is hard to come by a lot of times,” Travis said. “You pay for space and so, with art, there are a lot of places that show art that’s usually a store that transforms in to a gallery or a work space that transforms in to a gallery. So ‘The Outpost’ can kind of just stay like that.” These art shows change at least once a month, sometimes twice, with new shows usually being introduced on First Friday. “First Fridays are typically when we introduce our new artists,” Mark said. “But, we’re still learning and people are still learning where we are. A lot of people don’t even know where we are yet. And we’re still in the part of Chinatown that’s still VERY Chinatown.”

Aside from the oddities within Hound & Quail, vintage items, like books, maps, and typewriters lay around the small shop.

In regards to the goals of the company, Mark and Travis definitely make the necessary strides to reach them. For instance, one of their recently met goals was to move Hound & Quail to a bigger venue from their previous location near Ala Moana, which was a mere 400 square feet. Another one of their reached goals was to add a gallery space to their shop. “A gallery space was checked [off our list],” Mark said. “I think the next thing we want to do is, like we said, go in to other stores and keep branching out.” For the future, Mark and Travis want to become more involved in the community by giving back somehow. One idea is to hold various workshops for the community, in which they could utilize the large space in The Outpost. “I would like to do more community involvement,” Travis said. “Maybe workshops of some type. It would be great to give back to the community somehow.”

One other future goal for Mark and Travis would be to diversify the selection of items that are available in Hound & Quail so that the store offers more than just vintage items. In fact, this is something that they have already been working on with the small introduction of men’s accessories, which include wallets, bracelets, and bags. In doing so, maybe one day we will catch Hound & Quail at one of the monthly Honolulu Night Markets. “With our stuff it’s sometimes hard,” Travis said. “It’s hard to take a taxidermy of something…so we actually used to just build like a little pop-up area, but then it’s kind of tricky sometimes with the kind of stuff that we have. Like, it’s not tshirts that we can easily fold or jewelry.”

In the end, no matter how bizarre the selection of items may be, Hound & Quail is guaranteed to spark enough curiosity in its customers to keep them coming back for more quirkiness.

Hound and Quail can be found at 920 Maunakea St. in Chinatown. Business hours vary; check on their social media below for details.

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MAHALO FAMILY + FRIENDS OF HNL FLOW CONTRIBUTORS OF HNL FLOW CHAMINADE HOGAN ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE//UCERA CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY OF HONOLULU UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY LIFE IS WABI-SABI ALOHA DREAMBOARDS OUR KAKA'AKO BLSD PROJECT GLORIFIED SUPPLY CO. OCEAN THERAPY COLLECTIVE NATURAL VIBE CLOTHING HOUND & QUAIL CHLOE KONO COURTNEY CAZIMERO-GRAY STREET GRINDZ ART + FLEA AND OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR READERS. MAHALO NUI LOA FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING US.

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ISSUE 5 04.26.2015 FEATURING THE FIRST FLOW CLASS OF 2015