 And welcome to this week's edition of Business in Hawaii. I'm Daelyn Yanagida, and we are broadcasting live from the ThinkTech studios in downtown Honolulu. If you want to join us, we are live at www.thinktechhawaii.com, and you can also subscribe to our programs and get on our mailing list at that site as well. The theme of business in Hawaii is to share with you stories of local businesses by local people, and they share with you how they were able to build successes in a challenging environment. Today in the studio we have Tom Walker, president and founder of Ohana Nui. Tom is also a baker of super delicious cookies that I'm super excited to try. Tom, welcome to our show. Thank you. Thank you. Please share with us Ohana Nui, who you are. I came from New York, worked for 30 plus years in advertising, publishing, design, photography, all creative industries. I came over about five years ago for a month to do a photo book for a best known around natural geographic photographer that lives there, Paul Chesley. So I came for a month to edit and sort of design, and then it grew into a year, and five years later I'm still here. But Paul was sort of pushing, oh, you like it here, and you go to New York, and I was sort of tired of New York. I want someplace new. And I have no desire to go back. Fantastic. That's great. And Ohana Nui sort of came out of looking at opportunities. You know, I love packaging and branding. And I found that New York is a very crowded jaded market. It's there's so much of everything here. There's such an opportunity, particularly the tourist market, for high-end products. And I love you to packaging. And that was sort of the beginning of it and seeing that, okay, you've got your own tourism, it's a lot of it comes through Honolulu. Could I create something for that? And Honolulu is experiential brand. In other words, the products are trying to capture and taste, smell, sense, you know, what the experience of Hawaii is to take home as a remembrance of your visit or to give to friends back home to make them jealous. So I started with cookies because it's, besides being branding, I love to bake. And the choices here are, you know, the limited, okay, there's an opportunity to do something a little different. So I actually brought some to try. These are the panillo cookies. They are in three different flavors. And they're sort of done as gift boxes. They're all macadamia-based. And so the artwork on your boxes are you? You, right. They're sort of based on some old artwork, but I tried to update it. This is actually Kaimana Beach. And then you have Diamond Head and Imauna Kea. So they're kind of narratives in themselves. So they're precious objects. The first cookie is... Oh, beautiful packaging. It's a little die cut on the side. I brought some milk. You're obviously a marketing person. You wanted everything. Exactly. So here you can pour yourself a little milk. Thank you. To cleanse your palate between the flavors. Production staff needs some of this. So the challenge here is the humidity. And you need to create a cookie if you want it to be dry and crunchy, which I am. How do you get... Keep it that way and make it different. This has crystallized ginger in it. Oh, nice. So it's butter, crystallized ginger, macadamia nuts, a few other things. All right, guys. Here it goes. I'm a huge crunchy cookie fan. That hits the spot. Okay, so I was trying to find local flavors. And this next one is leaking pineapple. So it's candy pineapple. That was so good. Right? Is it sort of got... Oh. And then you get the crunch, you get the chew. It's sort of... And it's not that artificial ginger flavor. It... Oh, no. Well, you know, there's different points in my life of like epiphanies. I had a three-ginger cookie, I would say like 20 years ago, and I had ginger powder, ginger, you know, crystal. And I've always tried to like chase the monkey on that. And then this is like, oh my God, that sort of gets it. Now, this next one is sort of... That does get it. This is a little different because it has the sort of saltiness of the leji moe sprinkle over the pineapple, which is a lot sweeter than this. So it's a good counterpoint. That saltiness goes really, really well. That is amazing. Yeah, they're kind of different, but the same, you know, you get the crunch and the chew. And they actually hold up well in the humidity. If you leave the package open, they get soft. But I have friends that prefer them that way. That is so good. I need some of those. I didn't bring the third one, which is a mocha chocolate, which has a little bit of lemon and rye, and it has a chew in it, too. Amazing, really. And they're available at Island Olive Oil in Ward Center and in Kailua Center. And then we're launching in Neiman Marcus in about two weeks. And I have a top secret fourth flavor we're doing just for them. So in November, Neiman Marcus and... So the Olive Oil Company, Ward Center, Kailua Center, I think. And then Neiman Marcus. Now, with those in mind, higher end type of high line. So is that your target? Very much. So, you know, Omiyagi, if you know what that is, you know, I lived in Japan as a kid and I've always remembered their attention to detail and packaging and presents, presents to give to people. And I found when I came here, you know, it used to be, you'd always take home Hawaiian host macadamia nuts. Like now they're everywhere. Okay, can we create something that you can only get in Hawaii? You can't get anywhere else. Maybe it's a little more expensive, but it has a presence to it. So that was the whole point behind this. And I also, in developing this, I've also looked at other lines of other products, not only cookies, but things that scented products, fashion items. And how can we expand this? So I'm not a cookie company. I'm experiential brand Omiyagi. Something special that they can't get anywhere else but here. So can we expect that out of your Omiyagi line, the high line of Omiyagi that we'll see other things? Oh, lots. Yes, I've been working on this for a few years, but I have a whole line of products because I don't believe that what I'm selling is a cookie. I mean, that's part of it, but it doesn't work out. You've got to change and have another product or if that doesn't work, change it. So the whole idea is something that represents a portion of the island, you then smell, taste, or those things that you remember from being here. And so, oh yeah, I've got a good five, 10 other things I'm looking to create. So is this baked in your home? No, it's a kitchen, an incubated kitchen in downtown. Oh, nice. I'm actually looking to expand. And we just really got the cookies into the store in the last couple of months. So prior to that was kind of a year testing it with people and giving sample boxes out. So now we're just, it's the big thing is the expansion, which is the other challenge about when you start a business, like, is it scalable? Talk to me about that. Yeah. Well, again, I think when you go into the high-end item, and I think particularly if you do research in terms of products and cookies, there's not a big profit margin on a cookie per se. It's a fragile product. So there is a lot of waste. So how can you create greater value to it in terms of packaging? So we're looking at things that are probably cost a little more, but the greater value to the user. So everything we're looking at is like, okay, is this someone to pay a little extra to take home? That is just not a bag of cookies from Safeway. And every product is like, okay, whether it's a candle or whatever, is it uniquely Hawaiian or can I get it somewhere else? And I think the big challenge today is the economies of scale where you have local businesses pushed out by chains stores. Right. And everything's kind of the same. And it's sad because I've done a lot of traveling in my life. There was a time you'd go someplace, bring something home that no one had. Now you go, and these things are like, I've been in Dubai. They had Hawaiian host macadamia nuts there. Okay. So for those folks out there who are watching and they're saying, well, I've always wanted to start a food business. Where do you find your resources here in Hawaii? The interesting thing, and the first thing I have to, I'm constantly reminding myself, is the internet. And the things that are available today that weren't available five, 10 years ago, just if you wanted to know how to run a business, if you're looking for online, like accounting services, if you're looking for recipes, testing recipes, or you're looking for success stories. I think a lot about starting a business, it's one thing to have a passion, but is it a worthwhile business to get into? And there's a lot of stories already out there. And if you research cookies alone, you can sort of see where the sweet spot spots are and aren't. And you learn very quickly from other people's successes and mistakes. And mistakes are a great way to learn. You'll make them and we'll all make them. But again, if you can already experience that through someone else, so much the better, then getting resources, the whole idea that you don't have to go through a phone book, if you remember the yellow pages. You go online, you can see if it's available, you can order, and thank God for Amazon Prime. I can't tell you how many things I've ordered from there, just a test to try. And then once you figure out, okay, that's the product I want, you're working a source out on a wholesale level. But those things weren't available five, 10 years ago. So starting something like this was in a very different effort five, 10 years ago. So as owner of a startup, you have a great product, you have partners who are wanting to put you out there, the olive oil company. And because of the age of technology, do you feel the pressure to go online that you have to? No. And I come out of particularly my advertising background as digital media. And social media is a big time suck. You need to do it. You need to be there. But particularly for a business that's really focused on a local, develop, or say the relationship, develop the market locally. You can take a lot of time setting up a website, and you do need that. You need to be on Instagram, you need to be on Facebook. But those come after the fact or in parallel. First and foremost, get a good product, understand what your audience is and where they are and how to get to them. This says a lot of things to distract you out there. So I know that there's a very large story behind Ohananui and the three pillars that you've developed your brand by. With your packaging, did the inspiration on the packaging come from these three pillars? Because I think that's what makes Ohananui so special. In fact, it gives me chicken skin. It's interesting because I find being in Hawaii, being in paradise, and Hawaii is a global brand, and everyone has a vision of what it is. Now, when you live here and what's the novelty of being a tourist, where it's off, what is Hawaii? And there's so many different versions of that. And I'm always in awe of another person who comes and gets enthused about another thing here. And what is paradise? What is it to be in paradise? And there are certain things that resonated with me in terms of the culture here and also the culture that's coming from, that I'm writing from the Japanese and the Portuguese. And it's like, how can you sort of add to that and also highlight what's already existed in respect to the local cultures? It's just an interesting, unique place. And it's the only place for what, how many thousands of miles? It's just amazing. And there's very few island cultures like that. I say Bali, Hawaii, that have that kind of international recognition when you say the word Hawaii. And if you can distill that into a package, you'll be a success. So I know that you recently had like a launch event or a tasting event. Yes, we had a wine and cookie tasting. Tell us about that. How'd that go? Well, the whole, you know, part of this, the inspiration is also kind of like biscotti. These are double baked, like a biscotti to be crisp. They pair up nicely with wines. So we did a Prosecco, rosé and a white and with three different cookies and worked out very well. And then some out for the cakey. Perfect. Well, I unfortunately missed the event, but I... We're gonna have another one in Kailua in October. Fantastic. I can't wait. These cookies are amazing. We're gonna go to a quick break. This is Business in Hawaii and we'll be back shortly. Hi, I'm Ethan Allen, host on Think Tech Hawaii of Pacific Partnerships in Education. Every other Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. I hope you'll join us as we explore the value, the accomplishments and the challenges of education here in the Pacific Islands. Welcome back. This is Mrs. in Hawaii and today my very special guest is Tom Walker. Tom is the president and founder of Ohana Nui. I got a chance to taste these amazing cookies. They're very unique. They're not like other cookies that you may taste, you know, with some Hawaiian branding and whatnot. They're very, very special. Thank you. But where I want to go in this last half of our show is how special Ohana Nui is because it's not just an Omiage company, a Highline Omiage company. It is founded on values, pillars that are so, so much more telling. Okay, let me please share with us. I sort of feel like there's three areas you need to look at as one, you know, who is your audience? Can you give a quality product to them? Something that takes back captures the essence of Hawaii and also that the locals can enjoy too. So it's understanding who your audience is, but to also understand who the community you're working with, particularly in the business community. And I would say this for people that's starting out, I belong to the Hawaii Venture Capital Association. There's several organizations you can get involved. Just get to know the people because you learn a lot and you can work together. You know, one of the side things that I'm looking to, with a few other companies here, is helping them with their branding and developing how their businesses work here. It's a small community and you learn from them. And you also feed off the energy. When you hear success stories like, oh, they did it, I can do it too. That's important because you can beat yourself up and think, oh, it could be better or I should have done this. When you hear other people going through it, it gives you that sense of action. So very important to be a play a part of that community. And also understand island economies, which are kind of unique because you have sort of this closed ecosystem and limited resources, limited, you know, ingredients and manpower. Can you create something that, say, when it gets successful, doesn't leave the island like a lot of brands do? Again, this is more about quality, not quantity. So if we can do different products and work with other people who are creating products here, maybe bring it through the Ohana Noe brand. So it's recognized to represent quality, unique products, limited quantities. Then your price point goes up for them and everyone benefits. So that's kind of that, you know, how do you make the island economy work? And then the third part is giving back. And I was looking for something in everyone, you know, coming out of marketing, everyone's looking for, you know, it's called cause-related marketing, like tie into something. And it'll resonate. And I've been looking to something to tie into. And because I'm very, I swim a lot. I'm at the beach a lot and do a lot of underwater photography. I've been involved in Kaimana Beach, which is featured on one of the little boxes. I think we even have a picture that we might be able to throw up of Kaimana, right? Do we have- Anyway, so these are, this is one of the turtles that lives at Kaimana. Kaimana is kind of a special place in that it's a very popular local beach. Not as many tourists get down there, but there are two endangered species that love that beach, monk seals, Rocky who gave birth recently, and the green sea turtle. And they live in frolic with the people. They seem to be fine with the people on the beach. So I'm out there every other day. This is Rocky who I captured. This is two hours after Rocky gave birth to- Oh my goodness. To seal the same Kaimana. What a picture. Yeah, I actually had come back from New York on a red eye, and I just wanted- I'd been gone like two or three times. I just wanted to go somewhere. I just wanted to see my turtle friends, and I got down there, and Rocky had just given birth, and I had my camera got up on top of the building and shot down. Amazing. And it really is a special place. And the fact that nature and people can sort of exist together there is pretty amazing. I was there a couple of weeks ago shooting with my GoPro, and someone said my little turtle friend who I call Curly of Larry, Mo and Curly of the Three Stooges had a wire around his neck. So I swam out there and photographed him. Oh my God, he's just laying at the bottom. He's coming for everybody. He's very tired. I got back to land and talked to the lifeguard and got the number of the turtle hotline for the Hawaii marine animal response team. Got a machine. You know, he's going to die. So I raced home. Okay, it's illegal to touch it, bother a turtle. I got that. But I was so worried about, okay, if I get busted for this, so be it, I'll put up a GoFundMe, I'll raise money, but I grab like nail clippers, scissors, whatever, just ran back down. Luckily, before I got there, they called back and a woman from the Hawaii animal or marine animal response team was there. She organized a bunch of us tourists to go out, told us how to hold the turtle and she cut off the wire. We got the lure off, the little turtle, you know, stopped swimming right. And I thought, okay, this is who I want to give to because it was so immediate. And it's a strange place. I mean, there's some fishermen there. And, you know, it's just, the ecosystem is such that there's- Is that the actual rescue? Yes, that's the rest of the rescue. And what was great about what they did is, Brittany, the woman, got the wire off around the turtle's neck and then we all sort of, she helped, we sort of helped her get the lure off. The hooks will actually dissolve, but the lure could hook on something and whatever. And the turtle was fairly chill. I mean, I think he was tired, but I also think he knew we were trying to rescue him. But I mean, this is like five minutes walk from the house and what's amazing for anyone that's in Hawaii is, I'm the first year or two I'm discovering the island, the hiking and the sailing, whatever. When I discovered the underwater, there's another whole part of this island that's incredible to know about. And it's changing. The ecosystems are changing. The pollution, the rising temperatures, anything we do to, you know, preserve or help the environment. So very much, Ohana Nui is looking to give a percentage of profits to that cause. So again, this whole idea of like looking at your audience, servicing a good product, work within the business and local community to do something that has value and then to give back. And I think when you do that, there's a sense of satisfaction that comes. It's very different than just, oh, making money. It's like, oh my God, this person just like emailed me and said, thank you for saving the turtle. You can actually, I had the GoPro with me. So I videotaped the whole thing. If you go to ahananuilife.com, you can see the video of the save. And it was exciting. And again, if I can somehow help that cause. Actually, the rescue of that turtle was actually covered. I don't even know where it was covered, but I was on the news. They actually called me. God, I give them the video and everything. It was it was amazing. Yeah. I just I am so impressed by the response team being there so quickly, but also engaging the tourists, rather than saying, stand back, we'll take care of it. Enrolling them in the process, I think made an advocate at everyone felt they were helping saving. I think that resonates out that we can all make a difference to the environment here. And again, at the time we see these hurricanes everywhere around the world, they don't make a difference. So very much ahananui, we want to make a difference. One cookie at a time. So how did you put your three pillars together? I mean, the alignment is almost almost magical, right? Because you have a passion. You have a passion for the ocean, photography, advertising, marketing. Here's the thing is I find whenever, and I've worked a lot of publishing photography, advertising, once you focus on something you want to do, the opportunities you see is just come alive. They're always there, but you sort of filter them out because it's not about what you're looking for. But if you set yourself up, to want to do something, and then open your eyes up to the possibility. And again, you have to be careful to fall in and sort of the trap of like, oh, I'm in a cookie business, I'm going to make this happen. No, I'm looking to create a product that ends up being a successful business that gives back. You see other opportunities. So that's, that's I think a large part of, of being aware of the opportunities. Also, aware that you might make some mistakes. You've got to take a step back, in turn direction. So being flexible in terms of what you're doing, and be able to make a course correction. I've had a number of guests who talk about entrepreneurship and startups, and that Hawaii is a perfect climate for, for entrepreneurship and startup businesses. When you decided that you were going to start up a business, was it the cookie that drove it? Or was it the passion for? It was the desire to live here. And I've always been entrepreneurial, even though I've worked in the corporate world, I've always been involved with startups. So it was an opportunity to bring together everything I knew. And again, comparing this to New York, I said, oh, there's such opportunity here. It's like, oh, why don't they do this? Why can't we, you know, it was just so obvious. And because it's the only game in town for thousands of miles, it's sort of, it's doable. You know, I say, you know, a lot of when you do cookies, you're looking for distributor. Here you can go to all the stories yourself. You can develop, you know, direct relationships with each of the star owners. And I think that's what's sort of missing from a lot of, you know, more recent, you know, product development. Because the mainland, the big cities are kind of filled with chain products. There's no one to talk to to say, do you like this? Here, I know a lot of, you know, I actually met the couple that run Island Olive Oil, live in my neighborhood. And I was introduced to them on the street by a fellow that owns, do you know the Newt store? So they live in, and we all live in the same sort of complex. So we're just meeting them on the street and say, oh, you know, he's doing cookie. Oh, we have a store. I want you to do my cookie in our store. And it grew out of that. So the relationships you develop, you know, just casually end up being your business relationships. And that's one of the special parts about, you know, I think just living in Hawaii. Absolutely. And being particularly in Honolulu, there's such potential. And we just endless, you know, tourism year round, take advantage of it. There's so many things we can do to serve as that industry. The conversations that people have to connect their businesses together, they're authentic, they're organic. And I think you're right. That's what's beautiful about entrepreneurship and startup businesses in Hawaii is that you can network. But you have some experience in that. What about for those folks who this is their first rodeo? Well, what kind of advice do you have for them? Well, again, you know, first of all, we're living in such a credible place. So it's just inspiring to be here. And I think that sort of drives you to figure out, okay, how can I greater take advantage of what's here and what's unique about this place. But I go back to the point of like the internet. If you don't know something, it's easy to learn and never assume, okay, this is not rocket science or not sending someone to the moon. This is not brain surgery. This is basically, if you don't know something, get on and there's a YouTube video on it. If you don't know how to do bookkeeping, if you don't understand social media, there's something on it on the web. And that was not available 10 years ago. And I constantly am reminding myself how fortunate it is to be living in this time. Could not have done this 10 years ago, 20 years ago, it just wasn't possible. So take advantage and also the local organizations, the venture capital group, another small business, so the small business development group is very helpful in understanding what needs to be in place. And business owners here have that Aloha spirit in them. And they're so willing to mentor entrepreneurs. And I think that's, it's magical. We have just a couple of minutes left, but I'd love for you to tell our audience, first of all, where to find you. You can go, the website is HananuiLife.com. At the cookies are available at Island Olive Oil in the Ward Center and Kailua Center. And in November, they will be in Neiman Marcus on the third floor. Fantastic. I wanted to thank you for joining us and sharing. Certainly. Sharing your wonderful cookies. I can't wait for the production staff to try them. But good luck to you. And I'm going to be looking for you. And I'm going to tell the story about your packaging and your passion. And the turtles. And turtles and the turtles. Unfortunately, we are out of time, but thank you to our guests and the awesome production staff here in the studio. If you would like to be a guest on our show, please email your information to shows at thinktechhawaii.com. Business in Hawaii airs every Thursday at two o'clock, and we look forward to seeing you here next week.