BIG ISLAND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES: RECOVERING A FAMILY LEGACY
Welcome Back, Dr. Farhad Safi, MD!
The Eye Center of Hawai’i is honored to welcome back Dr. Farhad Safi, MD, a renowned ophthalmologist specializing in retina surgeries and cataract surgery. Returning to serve the communities of the Big Island in May 2025, Dr. Safi brings his expertise and compassionate care to help patients preserve and restore their vision.
Whether you need advanced retina treatments, state-of-the-art cataract surgery, or specialized eye care, Dr. Safi is here for you.
Honoring The Women Who Shape Hawai‘i
Aloha readers,
As May embraces us, we dedicate this issue of Kona Coast to the remarkable women who shape our communities, businesses, and traditions. We celebrate their strength, vision, and aloha spirit, the essence of Hawai’i’s vibrant heart.
Women in Hawai’i are pillars of resilience, artistry, and entrepreneurship. They are the keepers of culture, innovators in business, and nurturers of both land and people. Their influence is felt in every breeze, thriving enterprise, and act of service that uplifts our island ‘ohana.
In this issue, we highlight inspiring women, starting with Leala Humbert, the visionary behind Ua Body. Leala and her husband, Blaine Kusler, transformed a family legacy into a thriving business that captures Hawai’i’s spirit through fragrance. Her deep connection to the land allowed her to craft scents that transport people back to the islands. Through her mother’s recipes and her own innovation, Leala honors the past while shaping Hawai’i’s natural skincare future.
We also explore Mehana Pilago’s story, a visionary who turned adversity into opportunity. From launching a swimwear line at 14 to taking over and rebranding her father’s tattoo shop, Mehana’s journey back to Hawai’i showcases perseverance. Fueled by determination and community support, she purchased and renovated her creative studio—an achievement in her family’s history. Mehana reminds us that dreams are built with perseverance, resilience, and a supportive community.
We also celebrate McKenna Davidson, Kona’s first professional soccer player. Her journey from local fields to international stadiums exemplifies perseverance and passion. From Kealakehe High School to playing in the UEFA Champions League and then in Japan, Kenna has overcome unique challenges in sports. Her story shows that with hard work, dedication, and the right mindset, even a girl from the middle of the Pacific can achieve her dreams on the world stage.
This month, we also recognize countless women who build, lead, and inspirewhether launching businesses, raising families, preserving traditions, or blazing new trails. Their stories remind us that success is measured not just in achievements, but in the lives they touch and the legacies they leave.
May this issue serve as both a tribute and a call to celebrate the incredible women around us. Let us support them, learn from them, and, most importantly, honor them—not just in May, but every day. Happy Mother’s Day to the Moms out there!
With gratitude and aloha,
STUTTS, PUBLISHER
May 2025
PUBLISHERS
Johnny Gillespie | johnny.gillespie@citylifestyle.com
Liz Arnold, Sara Stover, John-Mark Dyer, Ryan Garrett and Bethany Reid
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Fletch Photography, Hailey Cartwright, Ewalina Photography and Amy Carlson
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Rachel Kolich
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle Learn
Proverbs 3:5-6
SUSHI LOUNGE AND OMAKASE DINING OFFERING NIGHTLY SEVEN-COURSE MENU FEATURING FRESHLY CAUGHT SEAFOOD AND AUTHENTIC JAPANESE DISHES.
inside the issue
A Timeless Stitch
Woman-owned
Hawaiian Fragrance
Ua Body’s smells based on Hawai’i’s nature keep customers returning.
Dare To Dream
Mehana Pilago’s Journey In Entrepreneurship on the Big Island
Beth
Rooted in Trust, Committed to
SERVING UP SUPPORT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, with HCFCU Member Tawny Hanakeawe.
“It’s not a matter of if we call 911, it’s a matter of when.”
In 2017, Tawny’s dad and his two friends were rescued at sea by the HFD. That moment served as the catalyst for Tawny's support of Hawaii Island's first responders.
Through both her partnership with the Daniel R. Sayre Foundation, and Harbor House—where she serves as the General Manager—Tawny is passionate about helping those who risk it all to help us.
When you dine or drink at Harbor House on the last Tuesday of the month after 3pm, proceeds from your meal go directly to supporting Hawaii Island's first responders.
At Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, we're proud to support those who give back to our community, like Tawny Hanakeawe. With her passion and selflessness drive to help, Tawny inspires us in our continued commitment to the people of Hawai‘i Island.
To read Tawny's full story, scan the QR code and click on the “July 2024” Newsletter
Tawny Hanakeawe
General Manager of Harbor House, proud supporter of Hawaii Island first responders, and HCFCU Member
hicommfcu.com (808) 930-7700 Federally
A TIMELESS STITCH
Woman-owned and sewn leather goods combine style and function into one-size-fits-all fashion
ARTICLE BY SARA STOVER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
The intoxicating smell of leather lingers in the air of a small home studio in the hills above Hāwī. Vicki Dyer, founder and owner of Vicki Jean Leather Design Co., meticulously measures, cuts, and stitches the latest leather design she’s dreamed up. Behind the cutting table, shelves are piled high with leathers in a rainbow of colors, like Italian Suede Sand Palm and Rainforest.
“I use a rotary cutter now, but when I first started, I cut everything with scissors,” says Vicki, who got her start making leather earrings while living in Washington State and working an office job. “One day, I went to the bead shop and found scraps of deer hide. I thought it might be fun to make earrings, so I cut out some shapes from the hide and put beads on them. A local boutique stocked them, and they sold right away. Then I started making leather bracelets.”
Encouraged by her husband, Matt, she began signing up for artisan markets and even a show at the Tacoma Convention Center in her free time. “I sold bracelets and a few bags. I customized the size of the bracelet to ensure a perfect fit for the customer, but since I didn't have a machine to do the snaps, I had to use a hammer. I made enough money at that show to buy myself a tool for that,” Vicki says. In 2011, when she was suddenly let go from her desk job, Vicki decided to rely on her creative entrepreneurial side to make a living. After experimenting with jewelry, she honed her design skills, turning fine, rich leather into handbags.
“It's the greatest thing that could have happened because when I was let go, I started doing more shows. That turned into having a little storefront with a spot for my mom’s fabric sewing machine. Eventually, I moved next door to a bigger location.”
CONTINUED >
“BEAUTY AND CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE QUALITIES THAT ARE AGELESS AND ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
I HANDCRAFT GOODS WITH THAT IN MIND.”
The timing couldn’t have been more ideal, as Vicki needed that extra space to fulfill her first wholesale order from a local boutique.
“When I got my first order, I realized that I needed to replace the fabric sewing machine with an industrial one. A good craftsman needs good ideas and good tools to bring the ideas to life. So I bought the Juki,” Vicki says, pointing to a sewing machine sitting below shelves lined with spools of colorful thread. On
top of creating products for the wholesaler, Vicki made bags for her family and hosted home parties for friends. Building on her experience with sewing and fashion assembly, Vicki officially launched Vicki Jean Leather Design Co. to create one-size-fits-all fashion that combines timeless style and function.
“Then we moved to Hawaiʻi in 2020. I shipped my car, the boxes that I needed for my business, and the Juki,” says Vicki, who returned her focus to
crafting goods and fulfilling wholesale orders after finding a plantation-era home and getting settled in.
“Our real estate agent, Theresa, had a friend who was out of work because of the pandemic, so she came to work for me. Throughout the pandemic, I hired six women who were out of work,” says Vicki, who instilled in her team the value of being flexible. “If you rush, you’re more likely to make a mistake. If you do make a mistake, come up with something
creative to hide it, like turning a hole into a place for a little strap. Roll with what happens. Then mistakes become something enhanced!”
Dedicated to leather goods made and sewn in Hawaiʻi by women, for women who need accessories that fit into their busy lives, Vicki’s delightfully unexpected designs are produced in small batches or made to order. Her line of everyday handbags can be customized with over 40 leather colors and textures.
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The ready-to-ship collection is Vicki’s way of helping customers find a gift or elevate their own style when they don’t have time to wait for custom-made goods.
“The coin wallets are our biggest sellers. I created them to hold money, ear pods, hair things, or whatever else you don't want rolling around in your bag,” she says, holding a hand-painted coin pouch. Whether custom-made or ready to ship, Vicki prioritizes crafting classic, affordable goods.
“Beauty and confidence should be qualities that are ageless and accessible to everyone. I handcraft goods with that in mind. The women that love the brand value honest, quality products over the facade of luxury that name brand designs with high price tags hide behind,” Vicki adds. While she is at the helm of the design wheel, Vicki also prioritizes collaboration with other women. “It's super important that women support other women-owned businesses. If we don’t, who will?”
“One of the women on our team, Ashtin, came up with the rainbow design, and I told her to run with it,” says Vicki, pulling a pouch with a stitched leather rainbow appliqué from a stack on the table. Inspired
collaborations extend beyond the studio walls to the shores of Oʻahu, where Vicki recently collaborated with clothing brand Eternal Summer Hawaiʻi on a photo shoot featuring a day glow dress and the relaxed Devyn shoulder bag.
“I think about what women need when I’m designing, like the Devyn, which features a wide shoulder strap designed to stay put. You can bend over and nothing falls out,” Vicki says, adding that the best part of her work is watching a design come together, from sourcing quality materials and designing to sewing durable leather goods.
“This is my first bag,” says Vicki of a deer-hide piece featuring a leather rose. “Now, I also make woven cane totes with a leather bottom, which I personally use when I paddle.”
The contrast between Vicki’s initial pieces and her Hawaiʻi-made goods is striking. Bright colors and images that embrace the energy and warmth of the island prevail.
“It has to be fun for me to make,” says Vicki, affirming that what hasn’t changed is her commitment to functionally putting the fun and making women feel beautiful and confident. “Not everybody feels good with their size or their body, but they can own a bag that makes them feel stylish without having to fit a mainstream beauty standard.”
Vicki’s designs can be found at boutiques across the U.S. When she’s not designing and sewing, Vicki is on hand at various pop-ups and Kona Village Resort’s monthly market. Outside the studio, she is a mother and grandmother who lives quietly with her husband and two adorable dogs.
“I have one grandson and three granddaughters, and it's really important that they see me doing this. I want them to know that you can do whatever you want in art and women can make a living as artists,” Vicki says of her desire to inspire. “There are no limits—And there's just no end to what I want to create!”
Learn where you can find Vicki’s designs at VickiJeanBags.com.
Clearing Her Own Path
ARTICLE BY LIZ ARNOLD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EWALINA PHOTOGRAPHY
How Kenna Davidson proudly carries the honor of being Kona’s first professional soccer player
From a four-year-old on a Kona field to a thirty-year-old playing in stadiums worldwide, McKenna Davidson (Kenna) loves to play soccer.
Success came early for Kenna. While attending Kealakehe High School in Kona, HI, she helped her team win the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) title in 2012 and earned the BIIF Player of the Year Award.
“My life revolved around soccer, but I didn’t think that I would play beyond college,” Kenna says.
She went on to compete all four years at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level while attending Pacific University in Oregon. After college, her first semi-professional coach invited her to play in the United States Women's Premier Soccer League for Chattanooga Football Club (FC) and, later, Issaquah Gunners FC and Fresno Freeze FC.
In 2018, Kenna’s first international contract came after an invitation from a coach in Ireland, making her the first Hawaiian to play in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League. Accepting the offer with no assurance of pay, Kenna took a considerable risk, but one she says she will never regret.
“It ended up being the best decision I could’ve made in my career,” she shares.
In Ireland, Kenna played in UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, leading to more contracts, first with Lithuania, then Iceland and then Albania. In this last location, she signed for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 and played against Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, which became highlights for her.
“I still can’t believe that I, just a girl from Kona, got to play in those huge stadiums against those big-name teams.”
“When I look back on that time in my career, I still can’t believe that I, just a girl from Kona, got to play in those huge stadiums against those big-name teams,” Kenna says.
Then came playing in Japan, but only after an unexpected blow. Kenna was forced to take a year off because of an incident with her ex-agent, something she has since learned other female athletes have faced with their male agents. Kenna considered retiring, but a friend encouraged her to play with the Lily Wolf F club in Ishikawa, Japan, where she plays outside back and winger.
“I definitely had to be resilient and fight for myself,” she says, “There have been many bumps in my journey.”
As a professional athlete, Kenna strives to be healthy. Her favorite way to stay fit is through gym workouts, but during
the soccer season, she’s learned to adjust her routines to ensure her body is prepared for games. Adding to her workouts, Kenna likes running, walking her dogs, playing pickleball with her mom, swimming at the beach, or riding horseback.
Eating healthy foods is also essential to her. She partners with Easy Meals Japan to receive nutritious food throughout the day. She gets expert advice from a nutritionist that helps her be a proficient athlete while playing professional soccer in Japan. Kenna avoids diets and listens to her body’s signals.
“I definitely believe in intuitive eating, and that’s what’s worked for me my whole career,” she shares.
Knowing that playing professional sports is demanding, Kenna focuses on her mental health. She surrounds herself with caring people and reflects on the importance of living in the moment.
CONTINUED >
“Even a girl from an island in the middle of the Pacific can make their dreams come true with the right mindset.”
Kenna acknowledges that she owes her success to her supportive ‘ohana, which includes her family back home, boyfriend, fellow teammates, current agent, and many of her past and present coaches, who have all encouraged her along the way.
“Team sports have taught me that I can’t be selfish because I have other people relying on me and trusting me to show up as my best self,” she says. “They do the same, and together, we can support and help each other grow.”
Although unsure of what’s next, Kenna is secure in her roots. She loves Hawai‘i and describes it as a safe space, a place where everything about it makes her feel like herself. She learned many lessons growing up on the Big Island and still carries them.
While at home between seasons, in 2023, Kenna and her boyfriend started a nonprofit futsal program and a summer program called The Players Hui. Both programs allow children to learn soccer and train on the field.
When Kenna played for Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club in O‘ahu as a youth, she loved the club’s ‘ohana culture and looked up to the older girls playing. This helped shape Kenna into the inspiring role model she is today. Her advice to aspiring young female athletes is simple.
“I want the younger girls who look up to me to know that anything is possible, but it won’t come without hard work and believing in yourself. Even a girl from an island in the middle of the Pacific can make their dreams come true with the right mindset.”
If you want to learn more about Kenna’s global journey, check out her Instagram account @kennahawaii
Healthcare Without the Hassle
Creating Unforgettable Moments
Hawaiian Fragrance
UA BODY’S SMELLS BASED ON HAWAI’I’S
NATURE KEEP CUSTOMERS RETURNING
ARTICLE BY RYAN GARRETT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s rare to find a company doubling its business yearly, even more so during the pandemic. But that’s precisely what Leala Humbert and husband Blaine Kusler are creating at Ua Body.
“It really stems from a love of Hawai'i, the florals, experiences and places here that I grew up with,” Leala says. “I think anyone who is from here or has even visited here, it resonates with you. So, I want to be sure I can capture that kind of love for the place in the fragrances.”
For those unfamiliar with Ua Body, they offer a variety of roller perfumes, lotions, skin care products, and more, all crafted with ingredients and fragrances sourced from local plants and flowers. The products are all-natural, plant-based, cruelty-free, and sold in sustainable packaging. Their products can be found in stores as far away as Okinawa, the Hiroshima Airport, the mainland, and all around the Hawaiian Islands.
“Leala has this ability with her background in food and wine, and she's taken that approach and applied it to fragrance and skincare,” Blaine says.
Ua Body—ua means rain in Hawaiian—officially launched in 2020. But its story goes much further back. Leala’s mother, Alice, was a Canadian model living in Paris in the 1970s. A restaurant manager noticed the foreigner sitting in the locals’ section and asked her to take a table in the tourist section. Ultimately, he gave her his telephone number instead. They fell in love and moved to Hawai'i.
In the islands, Alice fell in love again—this time with the local aromas. For three decades, she ran a business selling skin care products that incorporated local ingredients before passing away in 2018. “In 2019, I decided that we couldn't let her recipes or the story not continue,” Leala says.
Loyal customers had purchased Alice’s product from her booth at local farmers' markets for 15 years or more.
“They always wanted to take the experience of Hawai'i home with them if they couldn’t stay here,” Leala adds.
Blaine, with a background in business development, saw the as-yet untapped potential. “The reaction was not ordinary,” he says. “At the booth, they would tell us, ‘Every year, I come back.’”
So Leala and Blaine began creating a brand that celebrated their love of Hawai'i and embodied their plantbased and sustainably packaged ideals.
“So that's the roots of where it came from,” Leala says. “And then we took it and said, OK, let's give it a facelift. Let's repackage it, you know. Let's modernize it. Let's make it cruelty-free, more natural and use more sustainable packaging. So we went for glass packaging. We got away from plastic, and then we launched in 2020. We just wanted to kind of take what she (Alice) did, hand the baton to us, and then really put in best practices and things that we felt were important to be in a business. And that's how the brand started.”
Ua Body quickly began to see business take off like an airplane—literally. They developed a business partnership with United Airlines through a third party specializing in luxury brands for the travel industry.
Now, every amenity kit United Airlines business-class passengers receive between Hawai'i and the mainland or international locations includes Ua Body products. That reaches hundreds of thousands of passengers a year.
“When we opened the store, a lot of our customers were from United Airlines,” Blaine says.
And the partnerships have continued to grow. During the pandemic, The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu at Turtle Bay began developing a glamping—glamorous camping—site. As the pandemic wound down and occupancy began to return to normal levels, they moved the investment to their spa. Someone at the spa learned about Ua Body and invited them to create a custom fragrance.
“Leala has this ability with her background in food and wine, and she’s taken that approach and applied it to fragrance and skincare.”
—Blaine Kusler.
“We felt that if we could tie in the fragrance with the packaging and the branding that expressed Hawai’i in an honorable way, the customers would be drawn to us.”
“I did an onsite visit and met with the spa director and listened to what they were looking for,” Leala says. “So I presented them with three options, kind of three different inspirations that I took away from the resort— one being based on the crashing waves, the second one being more like your typical spa fragrance of rejuvenation, and then the third one kind of brought them together. And they went with the third one.”
With business quickly picking up, the team at Ua Body has grown to half a dozen in addition to Leala and Blaine, along with more than a dozen contractors.
“Packaging and our branding have set us apart from a lot of other brands,” Blaine says. “We leaned into colorful, expressive packaging. We saw an opportunity to have a brand from Hawai'i in the fragrance and body care space that could be ‘elevated,’ as they call it in the industry. We saw an opportunity to go to that space because there weren’t a lot of local brands in that area. Frankly, there were almost none that were from Hawai'i. We felt that if we could tie in the fragrance with the packaging and the branding that expressed Hawai'i in an honorable way, the customers would be drawn to us. And I think we did a good, conscientious job of putting all those elements together.”
While Leala and Blaine initially expected most of their business to come from creams and lotions, they were surprised by the amount of sales in their fragrance lines.
“We started out as a skincare brand, with the lotions and the creams geared towards sensitive skin, using ingredients from Hawai'i,” Blaine says. “And then we quickly found out that what customers wanted was the smell; they wanted to be drawn back to the nostalgic fragrances of Hawai'i.”
“Even if they can't get to Hawai'i, they love it, and they have such strong feelings about it that the
fragrance brings it back,” Leala says. “I mean, it's almost nostalgic. You can use our products to take Hawai'i with you anywhere.”
Leala shares that the pikake jasmine fragrance is popular across mists, lotions, and roller perfumes. “But in the store, a lot of people tend to appreciate the lilikoi coconut fragrance because it's just very light and friendly,” she says. “I like the pakalana, which is more of a softer floral. I think it's really great for a home fragrance.”
While Leala and Blaine have been keeping up with customer trends, they also continue making time to innovate. The Hā Breath Collection (hā means “breath” in Hawaiian) is Ua Body’s first unisex fragrance.
“I think that's going to be our most popular fragrance going forward,” Leala says. “It's good for men and women. It's a very, I would say, a very subtle fragrance. But it's very interesting and complex in that it changes as you wear it.”
For now, Leala and Blaine are manufacturing on the lot they inherited from her mother, Alice, in Waimea.
“It's pretty convenient because over the holidays, I think I was working about 14 to 16-hour days,” Leala says. “And so it was pretty nice not to have to commute. I don't think having it close by is a bad thing. We're going to be working on stuff all day long until we go to bed. And once we wake up in the morning, we're straight back at it.”
The couple says Hawai'i is an ideal location for starting a business based on natural fragrances.
“Right before I moved back home, I was training to be a sommelier,” Leala shares. “So I was used to kind of tasting and finding and discovering these different fragrances and notes within wines. So then, I just translated that to perfumes. But what I liked about perfumes also is that you can really tell a story—like wine tells a story, fragrances can tell a story too.”
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LEARN MORE: If you’re in Kona, you can visit their store on Brewery Block at 74-5606 Pawai Pl., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. Find a list of stores around the islands that sell Ua Body products at UaBody.com.
“Even if they can’t get to Hawai’i, they love it, and they have such strong feelings about it that the fragrance brings it back.”
Skincare + fragrance that captures and celebrates the spirit of Hawaiʻi
HAMAKUA COFFEE
GOURMET MACADAMIA NUTS
ARTICLE BY JOHN-MARK DYER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
MEHANA PILAGO’S JOURNEY IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON THE BIG ISLAND
DARE TO DREAM
Behind every big success is a fascinating journey full of risk, pain and perseverance. Mehana Pilago’s story is no exception. However, it’s hard to imagine when you walk into her beautiful new tattoo shop and creative studio in the Kaloko Industrial area. The
Despite its short lifespan, her first startup left a deep impression. Mehana learned the intricate process of building a brand—how to take an idea from conception to consumer.
Still gripped by her passions, she attended the Fashion Institute of Design
“BRIGHT AND PUNCTUATED WITH ECLECTIC POPS OF COLOR AND CREATIVITY.”
space is bright and punctuated with eclectic pops of color and creativity. Everything about it is cool, effortlessly so. The journey is a testament to her determination and the strength that community offers us.
Her voyage into entrepreneurship started unusually early. Her grandmother encouraged Mehana to start Khushti Kini—a bathing suit line—when she was 14. “I lived in bathing suits because I grew up surfing,” she explains. Mehana’s grandmother brought her to Indonesia to visit manufacturers. They searched through fabrics until they found what fit her style and launched the brand. It was a remarkable achievement for a 14-year-old, a clear sign of the industrious spirit she inherited. But the business didn’t have a fairytale ending. It wasn’t sustainable, and they had to shut it down. Reflecting back on the experience, Mehana admits that she didn’t know enough about marketing to make it succeed. But how much should we expect from a 14-year-old?
and Merchandising in San Francisco and graduated with a degree in product development. But the fashion industry wasn’t what she had imagined. The creativity and joy of design that had captivated her disappeared. Her vision for the future was filled with uncertainty, and she entered a very dark season.
Mehana moved back to the island and searched for work. She landed a marketing position but quickly lost it during COVID. With no clear path forward and an empty bank account, she accepted her dad’s invitation to work at his tattoo shop.
This unexpected turn of events marked the beginning of her comeback. Mehana found a gap in the tattoo industry. Her fine-line technique got a lot of attention. She put her marketing skills to work and grew the business. Then, in 2021, everything changed. “Dad signed the business over to me. We rebranded, and I got to redesign his shop,” she explains.
That might have been a big enough success for many, but Mehana is a
CONTINUED >
dreamer and found herself envisioning a bigger future. She wanted to build a space where creators could come together and establish a hub for creativity in Kona. She wondered if it would be possible to own her own space. No one in her family had ever owned commercial real estate. For a family of entrepreneurs, this would be breaking new ground.
When Mehana found the perfect building—an open, light-filled space with big windows—she knew it was meant to be the home for her vision. But bringing it to life would require immense work, courage and risk. For starters, she would have to invest her entire life’s savings into the building, and even that wouldn’t be enough.
But this is where the strength of the community surrounded Mehana. Her friends and family stepped in to offer loans. She began working with Tara Shim from 101 Financial. They dove into financial literacy and how to invest in real estate. Tashanna L.K.O. LoSasso from Big Island Commercial Properties
“DESTINY
EMERGES FROM LIFE’S TRIALS.”
filled her with courage and support through the process. And then, there was Jason Zeager from Pacific Business Funding. “After getting so many 'no’s' from banks, I felt defeated, but with their connections in the finance industry, they helped me obtain about $43,000 in business lines of credit.”
In the end, it became clear that every thread of her life was being woven together into something beautiful. Not only is the shop open, but she is surrounded by a community of people who deeply believe in her vision and helped make it happen.
Mehana’s story shows how our destiny emerges from life’s trials. Her journey inspires us to dream big and search for support from those around us. We should ask ourselves whose dream we can help bring to life. Because, like Mehana, when the next generation is allowed to dream, our island becomes a more beautiful place.
Check out: KaeoHawaiiStudio.com.
Behind each of our 200+ City Lifestyle magazines is someone who cares deeply about their community. Someone who connects people, celebrates businesses, and shares the stories that matter most. What if that someone was you?
Or maybe it’s someone you know. If this isn’t the right time for you, but you know someone who could be the perfect fit, we’d love an introduction
LEMON+OLIVE OIL SCONES
These light and bright pastries come together easily for spontaneous spring gatherings
As we step into the Spring months, I love to find more ways to eat outside. Picnic brunch feels so lazy, luxurious and easy to pull together. These
Lemon Olive Oil Scones are the top of my ‘packable brunch’ menu items and I absolutely adore how light they are!
ARTICLE BY BETHANY REID | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAILEY CARTWRIGHT
Ingredients:
In a large bowl, sift together:
• 1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup of raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Zest of two lemons
In a separate bowl, whisk together:
• 1/3 cup of olive oil (Colder is better. I pour mine in a bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours before I bake.)
• 3/4 cup of full fat Greek yogurt
• 1 egg (You will also need a second egg for brushing on top.)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
LEMON
OLIVE
OIL SCONES RECIPE
Method:
Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula until it has just come together, about 10 stirs.
Gently and quickly kneed the dough together with your hands until it comes together in a light ball. The dough may be quite sticky, you may need to add another sprinkle or two of flour.
Note: Elevation and humidity play such a weird role in baking, you kinda have to mess around with baking until you figure out what works for your exact location on our very diverse island!
Dump the dough onto a floured counter top and gently roll out into a small circle. I like mine to be about 2 inches thick.
Cutting like you would a pie, divide the circle into 8 lovely little triangles. Transfer the triangle
scones to a lined baking sheet and, using a pastry brush, brush with your beaten second egg.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until risen and golden brown! While the scones are cooling, make your lemon drizzle frosting.
To make the Lemon Drizzle Frosting:
• 1/4 cup of melted grass-fed butter
• 1 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
Whisk everything together in a little bowl, adding more lemon juice if necessary to get the frosting to a perfect ‘drizzle’ consistency. Drizzle the frosting over the scones and enjoy!
Bethany Reid is a private chef based on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Inspired by local ingredients and fresh flavors, she loves bringing people together around delicious food! Find more recipes at CommunityEats.com, or book her for your next gathering.
RECOVERING A Family Legacy
Against all odds, a collaboration brought a family property back to life
ARTICLE BY SARA STOVER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo by Amy Carlson BICP
When James Augustine met Scotty Martinson at Channel Islands Surfboards, a shop in Santa Barbara, CA, the two bonded over being from the Big Island.
“I was going to college in Santa Barbara and bought a surfboard from Scotty, the shop’s manager, in 1998,” says James, owner of Big Island Commercial Properties.
“You bought more than one,” Scotty says with a chuckle. Neither could have anticipated that 20 years after James invested in a surfboard, he would help Scotty with his own investment.
“In 2017, Scotty contacted me about Kawaihae Shopping Center, a property that had been in his family for generations. I thought it would be a valuable asset and asked him to call me for help when he got it back,” says James of the property that Scotty’s great-grandmother initially purchased.
“The harbor had yet to be built, and that was beachfront property, with 16 different mango trees on the land. The property was passed onto my grandmother,” says Scotty, whose family were commercial fishermen. “I remember staying down there with my grandparents and fishing every day, with my little bucket and bamboo pole. Whatever I caught, Grandma would cook up. My grandpa would fish from his boat just offshore. And my mom was actually born on the property!”
When the harbor was built in 1959, the family property became commercially zoned, causing property taxes to rise significantly. In addition to commercial fishing, Scotty’s family sold pickled mangoes to pay taxes until his grandmother had to lease the property to a developer in 1986.
After putting up a building, the developer sold his interest to an investor who took out a large loan against the property and got a cash-out refinance in 2001. The investor never made a single payment, and a few years later, the property went into bankruptcy and then receivership.
“Then it went to somebody else who tried to sell it,” Scotty explains. “In 2017, my mom called to say that the property was going to be auctioned off, and she wanted to buy it back. So I flew home, and we went to Kona for the auction. My Mom and I were the only ones who showed up. The bid started at $1.5 million, which mom didn’t want to pay, so we waited. Finally, the attorney said they’d contact us, and we left.”
Scotty and his mother were in negotiations with the bank to buy the property, but before they could finalize the deal, his mother passed away. Eventually, Scotty’s attorney, Randy Vitousek, got the property back, and he made another call to James in 2019, sharing the news.
In
Photo: Tashanna L.K.O. LoSasso, Director of Sales & Leasing
Photo by Amy Carlson BICP
“That's when the fun really began,” says James. Over a decade of neglect left the building with numerous issues, including holes in the roof, electrical problems, and termite damage. James and Scotty made a list to address these issues and got to work. “Since then, we’ve spent over seven figures on fixing it up. We've been through multiple contractors and the COVID-19 Pandemic. The process took a lot of work, time, and money. But after five years, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I didn’t give up on bringing the property back to life because I saw it down there in its heyday. My family has lived in Kawaihae for over 100 years. It's part of our heritage,” says Scotty. “No matter what, I couldn't let it just fall apart.”
Today, Big Island Commercial Properties handles the day-to-day management and leasing for Kawaihae Shopping Center. James says the goal is to build a long-term relationship and increase revenue and profitability.
“Since management requires physical maintenance and a nuanced understanding of tenant dynamics, insurance, and financial considerations, it’s important to have an on-site representative,” James says, adding that many people attempt to save money by doing it themselves.
“They seek our help when they're facing significant issues. Scotty was smart and contacted us early on.”
Scotty retired from the surf shop, focusing on a new venture. As a result of the collaboration between him and the Big Island Commercial Properties team, Kawaihae Shopping Center went from 50% to over 90% occupied. Scotty's cousins even moved their business, Kawaihae Marketplace, into the building, carrying on the family legacy.
ABOUT BIG ISLAND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
Big Island Commercial Properties is located in West Hawai’i on the Big Island. If you have a question about investing in commercial property, selling commercial property, or commercial property management, call us at 808-751-2427. Our offices are located at 75-240 Nani Kailua Drive, Suite #11, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.
Photo by Amy Carlson BICP
Photo by Amy Carlson BICP
In Photo: Tashanna L.K.O. LoSasso, Director of Sales & Leasing
Photo by Amy Carlson BICP
And the rent Scotty collects will eventually outpace what the building is worth and the money he invested to get it back.
“I just wanted to fix it up and have something there that's part of our family's legacy. Something the community can be proud of,” says Scotty.
“Now James and his team handle the day-to-day management, and it’s a place that families are stoked to visit. It's nice to come home to the Big Island and see that. And I can pass on that legacy to my family.”
If you want to discover more, visit BigIslandCommercialProperties.com.
P.O. Box 4482, Kailua Kona, HI 96745
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