 Hi, I'm Rusty Kamori, and this is Beyond the Lines. I am very grateful that I am able to feature such a wide spectrum of amazing guests on my show who inspire all of us to strive in reaching a higher standard for ourselves. And I want to thank you for tuning in today. We are broadcasting live from the beautiful Think Tech Hawaii TV studio in the Pioneer Plaza in downtown Honolulu. This show is based on my book also titled Beyond the Lines, and it's about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence, and finding greatness. Today's special guest is one of the most influential forces in the fashion industry in Hawaii. She is a celebrity stylist, makeup artist, and television personality. She is the queen of style, Crystal Pansi Pansi, and today we are going beyond fashion. Hey, Crystal. Hey. Good to see you. Good to see you too. Thank you for having me. You know, I love to say Crystal Pansi Pansi. And you say it so well. I gotta say, every time we're at a vet together, when you say my name, from across the room I'm like, Rusty's here. No one says it like you. Thank you. Crystal, tell me about your youth, about where you grew up, and what schools you went to. I grew up. I'm homegrown. Oh yeah. I think we just had this conversation. I'm born and raised in Oahua, Oahua General Hospital. Grew up there, went to Ka'al Elementary. I went to Oahua Intermediate, and then I graduated. I'm a Lillahua Mule, proud former cheerleader, I gotta say. But yeah, I call it the Pineapple Town, and I have affinity for Pineapple. It's my local for my company now. But that's Oahua. And what kind of activities did you do when you were growing up? I mean, I did everything. I mean, growing up, I mean, I was always, I was always an artist. I loved drawing. I was part of every student government, interact club, rotary, anything I could get my hands on. I did a lot of community service. I went to church next door, and I also became a cheerleader in my junior year, which really got me out of my shell, and then went on and being, you know, a dancer that led into other things after. And what college did you end up going to? I went to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. And what did you study? I studied, so I had a major in both business marketing and fashion. I went to the fashion school there, so, but I started in architecture. You know, when you go to school, and I'm, you know, first generation to go to college. My mom is from the Philippines. My dad never got to go to college, and it was just a lot of pressure for me to go to college. And I knew no matter what, I had to go, and I was going to go and be an architect, right? And, you know, you think you're going to do that, and that was my craft in my drawing. Super side note growing up, I was always doing makeup. That's, you know, my side business, that actually, what started what I did, but that was never a career. It just made extra money for me to commute every day from Wahua to U.H. And then my junior year, I guess my sophomore junior year, I took an art class, a fashion illustration liberal class, and I'm like, this is what I want to do. And of course, my parents was like, you're not going to school to learn how to sew. I'm like, I believe, I believe this is something I'm meant to do. I will be successful. So Hans had to go into business and then figure out the rest. And you, your daughter, Hailey, she goes to Damien, and I love that because I went to Damien. Yes. Tell, tell me about Hailey. My Hailey. It's been me and Hailey. Hailey's 15 now. And I'm so proud of her. I'm a single mom. So, you know, we just for her to go to school and then raise her and lead her by example, but really finding her own way and really leading her by example to find her own, her own things. She's not a fashion girl. She has her own individuality that I've always been supportive of that. But she's a total athlete. She plays club volleyball. She's found the love for soccer. She's all into football and sports. Her love language is definitely beyond the line. Well, she's going to have to read the book. Yes, I already told her that she needs to. Now, you mentioned that you would be doing some makeup side jobs. What was your first official job that you got paid for? In my life. In your life. In my life. Gosh, I've had a very, I felt I've always worked. Growing up, my family had a vending machine business called Jays Vending. My dad was known as the Pepsi Man in the whole town of Wahua, but he would take all the old machines and in our red dirt road in Wahua, he would fix the machines and we'd plant them all over. So every weekend, my brother and I, every Saturday and Sunday, and this is what we did. We didn't even know we were working. We just wanted free soda, which was not free. That's why so we would help him buy all the soda, go around all of Hawaii, take inventory, fill the sodas up. I did the inventory. I did the books. I counted a change. And this was before Coinstar. This was like you dumped it all over. You sorted it through. And that was my first job was for the family. And then that also then led to other jobs. So Crystal, how did you first get into fashion? How did I first get into fashion? That is definitely a very colorful story. How I got first into fashion was that I've always loved it. So I found my passion and my love. And I never, you know, I had that dream. I mean, I was definitely, it was probably that 12. I was a middle school girl with my best friend. We would like take the cover of Vogue and dream. Again, in Oahua, that was definitely us going to New York. We was like picking up that Vogue magazine. And I think that's when I fell in love with it. I think I was introduced to it at a very young age, but I was in a quote unquote fashion girl. I was definitely always the beach girl, country girl, rope down the shore with my dad, camping, spear fishing, all of that. But my mom was definitely who influenced me. She was a buyer for Shirkia and she worked with Liberty House. She traveled all over. I just really didn't know what she did growing up. But I think that was my first bit into being influenced of what I, this world of fashion. Yeah. You know, you're such a successful entrepreneur. You know, you started Ponzi style. Can you share with everybody what Ponzi style is? So Ponzi style is basically a full service fashion production and management company. So I started as a freelance makeup artist that then got very busy. But I never marketed myself as a makeup artist. I think it goes, it stems from back when my mom and my family was like, that is not a career. I was like, okay, that is not a career, but I'm really good at this. And people are paying me cash for this. So how do we incorporate this into a business? And I've always said it's, because in Hawaii we didn't have that industry here. So I really had to carve it out and get creative. And I started freelancing. And started from high school that led into college. My friends were going to the club or getting married, would also call me. It was all word of mouth, not a business per se, just freelance. And then what really flipped in my business was when after I wanted to create a line or create this empire, I wanted it to be Hanse, which was whether a fashion brand or a TV show. But then from one makeover to the next, that's basically what led me here. And I always marketed it as a full service and not just makeup. It wasn't just styling and wardrobe. And it was beauty, fashion and lifestyle. Everything that was behind the scenes that inspired women to be their best selves. And some years ago, Crystal, I was watching the Today Show. And I see that they featured you on the Today Show as the beauty and fashion expert. How was that experience? That was a dream come true. And it was one of those things, like when you find your bliss and you find these things and you get this momentum, there's me with Savannah. I mean, I always believe, and my biggest dream was to be on TV for Hawaii. Cause we didn't have that. We didn't have outlets to be watching makeover shows. And I lived on style TV. So when the Today Show called me, and it was a power of, yes, someone's like, I heard your name. This is what you've been doing with your work. Would you be able to be on the Today Show? And mind you, I was already doing smaller TV segments. I started with Living Local with the Baroqueos, which then prepared me for something like the Today Show. But they were like, this is a Today Show. And it's all news and it's two o'clock in the morning and we don't have a budget. But would you be able to do this? And I'm like, absolutely, yes. And with favors and friends and being able to, you know, really give Hawaii fashion a platform. That was my dream. Yeah, no, you were fantastic on that show too. And now you're a regular on Living 808. I am. How was that experience for you? Oh, it's so fun. I mean, it's so, so fun. Again, Living 808, I love John. I love Trini. I love now Tanya Ortiz. And it's one of those dreams. Again, we didn't have outlets outside from the morning news to do a fun TV segment that really shared people's stories and these makeover tips. And so being able to do that, I'm consistently on, but they give me the creative freedom to really share national trends that go, you know, beyond Hawaii, but then also relates to our local market. And that's where I've always believed that Hawaii has such a pulse within the fashion industry that when I started, everyone's like, oh, you're just that Hawaii girl. Hawaii doesn't have fashion. And yeah, maybe you are behind, but you know, we're people and we love being inspired by the world. And it is an industry and guess what? Hawaii and all our retail world is the number one gross generating stores because of our markets. Yeah. Well, that's why I tell everybody that you're the queen of style. Thank you. I honestly know that. I believe it. Thank you. Thank you. That's like, every time you say that, I'm like, there's someone just trying to make people over one person at a time. Now, Crystal, you're also the contributing stylist to Alamoana Magazine and Modern Luxury Magazine. Yes, add that to the list. I mean, I don't know how you do everything, but how was that experience for you? Oh, again, another dream. I mean, Alamoana Magazine has been the creative outlet. It's my editorial covers. I was able to, and Alamoana and Modern Luxury are sister publications. And I was allowed to really work with so many beautiful models and celebrities, but being able to get my hands into working with these designer brands, that I was like, wow, I don't really need to move to New York. Like the big pineapple is here. We don't have to go to the big apple. And it's just a great creative outlet. And what I love most about working in that is the team that I'm with. I call them my glam fam, Adam, Jake, Mariah, Jasmine. It's one of those, because we've worked so far in advance. So it's not even about the pretty pictures. It's the creative process and creating these experiences together, that everyone is so good in their expertise, that we create something so amazing that when we do pay this for it in a cover, hopefully inspires that little girl in Iowa and picks it up and maybe says, one day I can go to New York and work in fashion or one day I can create a line. So. Well, I have to say those, I mean, the magazines, I mean, with you being the stylist for it, I mean, it's like really high quality. Thank you. Thank you. That's always been. And we want to take it to the next level all the time. But for every issue, we're like, what can we do next? What can we do next? You want to do what you've done, that's why. You're never complacent. Never, never. I think, and that's the beauty of fashion. It's always changing. Fashion as an industry is always changing. But style is something so personal. And that's why I love working with people on that level, outside from the editorial world, working with someone who's going on a TV show or someone who's like, hey, I need help because I'm going on a trip or I'm taking headshots. So I believe in personal branding. And that's what I do. So, okay, so how do you help somebody with their fashion and with their style? What do you do? So fashion, I mean, again, I love the makeover process and people with me because fashion and beauty is such a non-threatening word. And you're like, hey, I'll be your best friend. But really what it is, it's finding the right fit for that person. So fashion, again, is always changing. Brands and labels are always trying to sell you something. But for you as an individual, I'm always trying to get to know you first and what your lifestyle is, what your persona is, what you're trying to achieve in whatever part, whether you're running for president or if you're going to be on the news or I'm like, hey, I started a business and I'm gonna be featured in this TV show. Everything that you wear is a representative of a message you're trying to deliver and that's what personal branding is. So when I try to, like you, when I try to go onto a new project, I do my homework, I profile it and then I take everything I've learned and it's all marketing at the end of the day and then apply it to that individual person. Crystal, which celebrities do you feel like maybe one or two celebrities that have the best style right now? One or two celebrities, outside from you? Gosh. You're too kind. Who, so I love, God, it's so hard. It just depends on who I'm looking at, who I look for all the time. I mean, I love Jennifer Lopez. Because she delivers, she gives us a show all the time. She styles. You know, and she has a whole team. So I love her team and that's like my celebrities. I'm like, what are they doing? So I do love Jennifer Lopez. I love Carolina Herrera, who's a designer. She's always chic and classic. Megan Markle. I love watching her fashion journeys since she's become, you know, this princess but she's pregnant. But I loved her before. I used to read her blogs prior. For Min. Oh, David Beckham. Oh, David Beckham. He's always like put together but there's always something a little rockstar about him and he's always in a suit. And as a guys, you should always invest in a good suit. Okay. Invest in a tailored blazer. That's my tip. And my dream would be a TV show. I love Queer Eye. Yeah. But it would be a version for Hawaii where I would make over the men of Hawaii ambush style. I was like, let me help you. So that way we crop some really good, amazing men from Hawaii. You're cracking me up, Crystal. Crystal, we're gonna take a quick break and then when we come back, we're gonna continue going beyond fashion. Absolutely. You are watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii with my special guest, Crystal Ponzi Ponzi. We'll be back in a quick minute. Hello, I'm Dave Stevens, host of the Cyber Underground. This is where we discuss everything that relates to computers that's just gonna scare you out of your mind. So come join us every week here on ThinkTechHawaii.com, 1 p.m. on Friday afternoons and then you can go see all our episodes on YouTube. Just look up the Cyber Underground on YouTube. All our shows will show up and please follow us. We're always giving you current, relevant information to protect you. Keepin' you safe. Aloha. Aloha, I'm Wendy Lo and I'm coming to you every other Tuesday at two o'clock, live from ThinkTech Hawaii and on our show, we talk about taking your health back and what does that mean? It means mind, body and soul. Anything you can do that makes your body healthier and happier is what we're gonna be talking about. Whether it's spiritual health, mental health, fashion health, beautiful smile health, whatever it means, let's take healthy back. Aloha. Welcome back to Beyond the Lines on ThinkTech Hawaii. My special guest today is one of the most influential forces in the fashion industry in Hawaii. She is the queen of style, Crystal Pansy Pansy and today we are going beyond fashion. Crystal, you're also helping a lot of our local TV news anchors. Yes, yes, and that's recently I've worked with, not only on TV, but I work behind the scenes. That's my most comfortable place. I work with all the news getters, Stephanie Lum, I do their hair, their makeup, styling and styling is like what color should I wear? Because when you are a different profession, you should be wearing certain things so that way it just really heightens where you are in your life. So I've been able to have so much fun with every personality. I feel like, and I've been friends with all of the anchors and growing up, these are people that you're like, wow. You know, I want to be Trini, I want to be Bernadette Verrocchio and now they're all friends and I'm able to work behind the scenes with them. Yeah, totally. And learn, and learn. And they're all such great people. And you know what, Crystal, you are also helping Tulsi. Yes. Tulsi Gabbard. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. How is that going? I love her. She's one of my favorite people. I mean, I've known her for the course of seven years now. I've been on her team since the beginning. I am her hair and makeup artist. So if she has to wake up, I always say if Tulsi can, then I can. So if I have a call time at one o'clock in the morning and yes, that's the crazy part of my world, it's not always glamorous, it's really not. You wake up early, you get them ready and by being around her has really taught me so many life lessons and how we can better serve. And I help her get ready. So we hang out and we have girl time. I mean, she's a woman and she inspires me all the time and this next chapter and running for president is a really exciting time for her and I'm really happy and blessed to be part of that journey. And she's such a nice person. And when you said that it's not glamorous all the time, you know what was glamorous? You getting to go to the Grammys this year. How was that experience? Do you like the, it's such a different world. I go from one place, you know, to the next and that's exactly the world of Ponzi. Another, you know, the power of yes, I was allowed to go to the Grammys and it's again a bucket list of mine and I used to host like Grammys post-Fashion Week, who wore it best, who wore it worst and I'm like, one day I'll go to the Grammys and I was able to go this past year with a recording artist Kimmy Miner and she asked me, she was like, hey sis, you know, I'm going to the Grammys and I didn't realize the magnitude is not just a day, it's not just a show, it's an entire week and it's the biggest music convention. She's like, I'm going to LA, can you help outfit me? And I'm like, tell me your events and tell me your dates and then we'll curate you for each thing. And then I was like, hey, I think I'm gonna be in LA because I was gonna do another photo shoot and everything's serendipity in my life. It really does just kind of magically all tie in together. I was like, I think I'm gonna be there, I can make it work. And I was like, I'll make it work and I ended up going with no expectation ever. I'm like, let me help you, I'll get you ready. She's like, I go, that's my birthday weekend too. So I'll catch the red eye, I'll end up in LA, I'll get you ready and she's like, do you wanna go? And I'm like, oh yes girl, I got my dress. You know, I'm always ready, another tip is, always have your bag in your trunk just in case. Extra shoes, like earrings, some body wipes, that way you're ready. Well, she was smart to invite you to go and that's amazing that you had that experience. And then we were front row when Colony Pea won his second Grammy and then it wasn't just that, it was a whole day. The Grammy show was from 11 o'clock that morning to 11 o'clock that night and the after parties. And then when we got into the convention and then all those artists were there and I love music, love music. So I was like, okay, Fashion Week I've done, New York I've conquered, front row, I'm like, you're the Grammy? Yes. Well, Crystal, you're somebody that I know that definitely go beyond the lines. Thank you. How do you like my book? I love your book. I actually, you gave this to me and you've been telling me, you need to read my book and you came and I read it again, preparing and I love it. I feel like such an easy read for anybody, entrepreneurs, give it to your kid. And when I was reading it, it just really affirms the principles that I live by. So thank you for reading your book. Because you're so detailed and disciplined and you have a high standard of excellence. I mean, it's amazing what you do. Thank you, thank you. Detailed disciplines, having integrity and always doing it, giving it your all and also finding your purpose, the people that you're around has attributed to everything that I've done and inspired me. It's not just me and I feel like leaving your legacy at the end and that's my why. And my why is, how can I leave a legacy for my daughter who is watching me every step of the way? So thank you for your book. Oh, you just gave me a ticklish feeling inside of me, Crystal. I'm gonna write a book next. I can help you with that now. Yeah, there you go. Crystal, I wanna ask you, have you had like a major adversity in your life ever and if it was, how did you overcome that? So adversity, yes. I mean, it's not all glamorous again. At the end of the day, I mean, it's a hard, hard work every single time. I mean, every day I'm like, why? And adversity of how I started and I think we started talking to you about it is I think really young on, I had to grow up. And we've grown up all at Citron Park for life but when I was 21, I was just graduating from college. I was in Europe and I was like, this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna live in New York. I'm gonna live in Paris. And I came home my last year and that's when I learned that my dad had lung cancer and I had three months to live. That was the day I came back home and I'm like, well, I have to finish. And so I stayed my last year of college back here in Hawaii. I was a caretaker. And then I was like, I'm just gonna graduate double major. And then as soon as I graduated, dad had passed the day before and then I found out I was pregnant. I'm a single mom. So being a single mom already is a challenge. And going back home to Oahua and then really learning to, okay, am I, what now? And that what now and that sometimes that really tough times in your life make you and challenge you to a point where you can't give up. And there was, for me, it was like, how do I say, be a good mom and raise my kid by myself? How do I live my dreams and my goals? And how do I inspire other women that you don't have to be another statistic? I was like, you can do it all with a kid in tow. You can create a career for yourself in a place like Hawaii and I love Hawaii, but it wasn't here for me. And you can create an industry in a company that just encompass everything that you're meant to do. And then you can also help others at the same time. So yeah. Wow, Crystal, you're definitely inspiring a lot of single moms out there to know that they can be a great single mom and to really pursue their work, you know, their dreams. So that's amazing. Thank you. Very inspirational. Thank you. And everyone doesn't know, yeah, it started from the back of my car with a kid in tow and sure faith and belief and lots of hard work and the people that you're around, so. Yeah. Crystal, what's an important lesson that you've learned in your life so far? I learned that life is short. And in a way that is like, oh, you know, not in a very cliche way, but when going back to when I was 21, you know, sometimes you get the snippet of what your world's gonna look like and you hope for and you know, I had these big goals and then you realize that all you have are moments. And if you don't make them most of those moments and when my dad had passed and then I had life that came up, these moments don't matter. I mean, excuse me, the moments matter most and you only have one life to live. So why not live it to the fullest and live your best life? Yeah, no, that makes sense. And who is someone that has inspired you to be who you are today? Oh gosh, one person. I mean, I feel like there's so many people that in my different paths of my life inspire me. One person that's really helped shape me, outside from my mom, I call her my Filipino Anna Wintour. You know, she keeps me on my toes all the time and you know, she was always perfect and you know, going, you always have to look there, even if you're going to the grocery store, you have to put together. But the woman that I really attribute my career and the person that really sparked the belief in me was Bernadette Boraccio. I started with Living Local with the Boraccios and the Five Sisters. And I just was like, I want to do a TV show. I want, I want to be able to do magazines. I want to do it all. And she was like, okay, let me help you. And I started making over the sisters. I did their hair, makeup and styling. She gave me my first TV segment. And that's when we started Ponzi Style, Style, Filmed. I went to New York. I was there at Fashion Week and she gave me, she was like, what, $300? Can you do it? And I'm like, absolutely. And that's when I did my first TV show called, you know, my tagline was from the Big Apple to the Big Pineapple. You've been Ponzi-fied on Style, Fil. And I was backstage at the Kimoralee Fashion Show. I interviewed all these amazing recording artists and fashion influencers. And this is before social media. And from there, she's able to, she taught me how to do it all and go beyond the lines for your dreams and goals. Yeah, you know, you're right though, the barracules, they did it all. I mean, they were amazing. They definitely go beyond the lines. Absolutely. And the core is at the end of the day, it's all about family. And so that's why I love what I do in this grand scheme of things, but I also love being from Hawaii. So it really just grounds you and says, okay, you've done this, but you're still that Wahua girl that's still trying to grow. For sure. Crystal, before we wrap up, I wanna know what are you hoping to aspire to achieve in your future? Cause you achieved so much so already, but what are you hoping to achieve in your future? In my future, there's always, I think every day you kinda want to always say, okay, I've checked off this list and it wasn't a list for me, but now I definitely want to grow into a whole digital platform. I wanna have a show. Even though there's not, I do so many TV shows, I'm launching the Ponzi style blog, so that way I can just reach two more women and then we're doing a YouTube channel. Finally, I'm gonna do all my how-to videos and interviews and then grow. I definitely want to create a product line and that's something that's in the works. So it's always exciting and we always do more events. Crystal, I don't know how you do everything that you do, but I see you doing it all and I wanna thank you for taking time to be on the show today. Thank you for having me. Awesome, Crystal, thank you. Thank you. And thank you for watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii and a special thank you to my clothing sponsor, Ilani Incorporated. For more information, please visit RustyKamori.com and my book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all Costco stores in Hawaii. I hope that Crystal and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs. Aloha.