 I'm Melly James, host of Let's Mana Up. This show is meant to dive into stories of local product entrepreneurs and how they are growing their companies from right here in Hawaii. My guest today is Jaylene Kanani Bell, founder of Noho Home by Jaylene Kanani, and it's based on Oahu. Welcome to the show. Thank you, Melly. Thank you for having me. Yeah, of course. And today we're in this gorgeous living room which is designed, decorated by Noho Home. So we'll kind of get into some of the pieces in that in a little bit, but Jaylene would love to have you kind of open and share with us a little bit about Noho Home and how you got started. All right. Excellent. Thank you. Well, it was definitely by accident, so to say. My mom was actually a designer. She did Hawaiian-inspired designs, and she sold them in McInerney's and Liberty House and craft fairs all over the island. And quite frankly, I didn't think that I had much creativity or artistic value, but as it came about after college, I came home and I started working in hospitality and commercial FF&E, that's furniture fixture and equipment. And in working with architects and interior designers, what I found very quickly was that there really were not designs that spoke to our island aesthetic. So I started to create them. You would like ask and say, oh, you know, we're looking for something that's based for something in Hawaii, and they were like, what would they send you? Oh, well, they would send me pink flamingos. That seems very Miami. Flamingos, fluorescent monstera leaves, they would send us bamboo trellises that were very European and ornate, in a sense, a lot of Asian designs. And really, there was nothing that spoke to our flora, our fauna, or any of our cultural experiences that we have here. So in collaboration with the architects and interior designers, we basically started to think through that process and I started to do designs. Amazing. Yeah. So did you, like, when you were growing up, was that something that interested you, like Mo'olelo and stories of Hawaii and the flora and fauna, or is that kind of, how did your design mind work with, like, kind of historical and what you had known from your past? Well, my mom was very active. She was very active in the movement to bring Oha into reality. She was the education coordinator for the Polynesian Voidings Society, so I very much grew up around these situations, more so than not sleeping underneath conference tables or in the car, but I was constantly surrounded by, you know, people who we would now call Kupuna, who had amazing stories and that really shared what it meant to be Hawaiian, and that was very much instilled with me, but again, I went off to college and thought I was going to have a very corporate career, but it came full circle, as I think, you know, many islanders do, yeah. Well, why don't we take a look at some of the designs you can start sharing with us on the stories? Oh, I would love to. So we can see here our beautiful backdrop as well. Do you want to share a little bit about what's going on here? Sure. So in this in this photograph here, we have our pillows. So we have decor pillows. We have drapery in a drapery here. We have it's a little hard to see in the photo, but we have our upana pattern. So upana being fishnet and really what we're doing is trying to have touch points within our prints that connect us to things that are familiar to our island, to our culture, to our heritage, to our practices in just small, meaningful touch points in the wallpaper. We have a peely pattern. And so there's a duality in this peely pattern. One, it is the name itself means closeness. And so we really like to talk about that closeness and wanting to bring it into the home and to our sacred space. There's also the framework that it's in is a very textural, fibrous visual that's very much like peely grass. And then the framework and structure is actually taken from a Cook Island couple pattern and re-envisioned. So there's a lot of there's a lot of duality, a lot of meanings that we infuse into our design. And often it's just one piece. And I like to say that it's a piece that contributes to the values that we're trying to portray in that space. Yeah. So a lot of times, you know, home home is about values and the values that you want to grow and share and portray. And so really what we do is just try to bring pieces to market that help you convey that. You started know-how home after having this amazing career, really being a designer just, you know, for the big hotels and working for large companies. What what what inspired that shift to to start your own company? So I always like to clarify. So I am a textile and product designer, not an interior designer. And I like to clarify that because what I do is I work with manufacturers. I create designs and then I bring them to life. And my major goal is to be able to bring these Hawaiian inspired designs to more of a mass market to be able to have everyone share in it, but still have it be very elegant and sophisticated and not kitschy, which is really all that we had out there for a very long time in mass. Circle me back. So one of the things I love is crossover. Yes, one of the things I love is that you started know-how home for the aunties. Yes, yes, yes. So the so I was business to business. So it was always my I was always working with architects and interior designers, hotels, the military, but always business to business and commercial. And I always say I did it for the aunties because over the last 20 years, they, you know, they I'd always get the the ask, oh, can I have a pillow or can I have a rug? Or can I buy just like one? Yes, can I buy one? Can I buy one bedspread? And the answer was always, oh, I'm sorry. No, we have to buy five hundred or each one cost, you know, fifty thousand dollars. So to that point, I decided that I'd like to bring some things to market direct to consumer and kind of really be able to be a source of pride for our community in being able to walk into a store or go online very easily and purchase something that, you know, has some touch points and connection. But so neat that, you know, us as individuals now can can can buy, you know, a single pillow or a bedspread. But what's neat is that you've had so many years of experience in commercial that, you know, you're not just kind of coming up with some cool pattern and creating a pillow that you have all these technologies behind your material. I know there was one shot where there was like a spill on the pillow. And I'd love to be to see to see that right now so that you can share what's going on here. Absolutely. So often to my detriment, I do come from the commercial arena. So I want to make sure that everything is completely functional and I'm probably an over perfectionist. So what we've done is we really created a product that is not only beautiful, but functional. And so our decor textiles that are printed and cut and sewed here in Hawaii all have a DuPont stain and soil protection. So that stain right there or that what would become a stain can be taken out. So like it just spills and you just wipe it right off as it's gone. Spills, you can wipe it off. You can actually take your finger and go in there and try to get it in. And and then you can take it out while running under some water. Yeah. So one of the one of those stories I love hearing is about the bedspread, the dark blue one and the story behind how you created that because it really kind of creates this like mindset when you're coming into bed and I actually have this bed set. So thank you, Jaylene. And so this reminds me of my evenings, but I would love for you to share the really neat kind of story behind this one. I'd love to. Thank you. So in developing spaces, you know, we like to talk about the experience or what that aspirational experience would be of that room. And in the case of our Ho'ohiomoi bed, Ho'ohiomoi in Olalawaii means to be rocked or lulled to sleep. The aspirational experience was really one of let's say being on the Hokulea out to sea under dark skies. A canopy of stars and being gently lulled to sleep. And so in developing that, we wanted to take, you know, what were those touch points? So we have the we have our upana pattern, which is our face net. And what we've done is we've basket we've done a basket weave in that so that it it it has a flow and motion to it. And then on the other side in the spirit of being a bed itself and wanting to be something of support and strength in our most sacred space. We have our Kua pattern, which is what we call our foundational pattern or pattern of support imagery itself as the rock foundations. And and then on top of that, we have our overlay pattern of our canoe. Our canoe design is also our logo, and it is it's a graphic interpretation of the avapuhi foliage. But more importantly, the name canoe to plant really serves as our mission, which is to plant seeds of culture and entrepreneurship, not only within our company, but throughout the community. So kind of speaking of entrepreneurship in the community, what kinds of things have you been involved with? And then I'd like to talk afterwards a little bit about some of the bumps in the road along the way. But how are you contributing to entrepreneurship in the community? And then what kinds of things are you guys up to? Well, you know, I think for my for my space, I really enjoy talking to people about students as well as young entrepreneurs about the opportunities and textiles. So an example would be I've started to work with Olamana School. They have they have great equipment, but currently they use it to do t-shirts and stickers, which, you know, there's always a need for t-shirts and stickers, but I really am hoping to expand. Their thought processes in how to create patterns that are repeatable so that they can make fabric and that that fabric doesn't have to just be for fashion, it can be for home decor, it can be for industrial purposes, car covers, etc. So really just trying to expand the knowledge base. And then Shamanad School kind of working with they have a they're the only interior design program on the island. Oh, really? Yeah. Wow. Yes. How many students do they have? You know, I can't say for sure, but it's not a large program. And really, one of the things that we were just talking about is how we need to reach out to high schoolers to start talking about professions in interior design and creative creative textiles. Because by the time that they are making those choices about college, they've already kind of said, oh, you know, this is not for me or there's no money in it or they've kind of prejudged that or they don't even know about the field in general. So reaching out to high schoolers is is really important so that we can actually grow not only the program at Shamanad, but the community of interior design here in Hawaii as well. There is such a need for more designers everywhere. All of the local designers are hiring because they do fabulous work. And so was it like that when you kind of came out as an interior sorry, textile designer that you were kind of the only one at the time and even now looking 20 years later, it's still a challenge that you're trying to help with some of these schools to get more interest in the local community. Yes. So I would say, you know, I would say when I started doing design in this way, I was the only person. I actually do a lot of carpet design and I do carpet design here for other places in the world as well as fabric design and other items. And I'm licensed and it goes to other places. So yes. But they know it's that's Hawaiian or is it is it more? So that's a very interesting that's that's an interesting topic about about manufacturing and the way in which things come to market. So so it goes out with a message and the message is then conveyed by layers of salespeople and retailers or wholesalers and distributors. And so you kind of don't know where that message ends up. You don't know that person who has that textile really knows where all the money came from. And I love the how know, home now that you're in that you're in control of that. That message comes all the way through. Exactly. Yeah. So we're going to take a break right now and be back in a few moments. Thanks, Elaine. Thank you. Aloha. My name is Mark Schlaufe. I am the host of Think Tech Hawaii's Law Across the Sea program. My program airs every other Monday at one o'clock on Think Tech Hawaii. Most of my programs deal with my own life and law experience. Recently, I interviewed Alex Jampel, who I have known for over 30 years about his voyage across the sea as a lawyer from Tokyo to Hawaii. Those are the type of stories that I like to bring and like to talk about human stories about law and life. Aloha. Hi, I'm Rusty Kamori, host of Beyond the Lines. I was the head coach for the Punahou Boys Varsity Tennis Team for 22 years. And we're fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championship. This show is based on my book, which is also titled Beyond the Lines. And it's about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence, achieving and sustaining success and finding greatness. If you're a student, parent, sports or business person and want to improve your life and the lives of people around you, tune in and join me on Mondays at 11 a.m. as we go beyond the lines on Think Back Hawaii. Aloha. Welcome back. I'm Ellie James, host of Let's Mana Up. We have Jaylene Kanani Bell, who is the founder of Noho Home by Jaylene Kanani. So welcome back. Yeah. So I know we were talking about Mo'olelo and, you know, when you've made these beautiful designs that have gone out to other companies, there's these layers and layers of salespeople. And by the time it gets to the end user, it's quite diluted. And now you've started Noho Home. This is really your company. This the story comes through all the way. And part of it is also, don't you have a lot of the Mo'olelo and a lot of this in native Hawaiian that you that it's on, actually the back of the label? Oh, yes. That was this. This was an awesome aha moment. My manufacturer called me and said, wear your care tags. Oh, care tags. All right. So I went to go make my care tags and they have to be done in two languages. Oh, I said, OK, well, what's my second language? And I said, oh, Japanese, maybe. And then I thought to myself, oh, my gosh, this is my product. I'm manufacturing it. I can do what I want. I'm going to make my care tags in O'olelo, Hawaii, as well as O'olelo, English, so. And, you know, again, just a touch point just to normalize O'olelo, Hawaii, there is a movement for that. You know, and when you go to Bank of Hawaii and you go to take your money out, you may not actually be able to understand everything, but you know what the road process is for that. So it's that at every, you know, having those touch points at every turn is is really how we bring pride to our language and our culture. Yeah. So you started Noho Home and obviously it's a totally different beast than what you had been used to, having been a textile designer with kind of the larger companies. What were some of the hurdles and what are some of the hurdles and challenges that you face that you can share with the audience? Oh, yes. Well, there have been many. So one of one, of course, is going to be manufacturing and of course, manufacturing here in Hawaii. So I do both. I manufacture here in Hawaii and I also manufacture overseas. And I like to say that I do it in a very thoughtful way. What makes the most sense? What's going to get the most amount of our mission to market, so to say. And so one of our desires is to bring home what I would say is the low hanging fruit of opportunity to manufacture in Hawaii. And that is a challenge. What are you making here? So manufacturing. Yes, so we are making all of our decor textiles. So that would be our pillow, our pillowcases, our decor pillowcases. And then our kitchen textiles like tablecloth, tablecloth, napkins, runners, table runners and then we also have actually just announced that we are partnering with the wedding linen company and we will be offering wedding linens through their through their company. Yeah. So what other challenges have there been starting this amazing company here? So I would say that and this is going to be the challenge for everyone, maybe not just in Hawaii, but maybe a bit more. So because it is Hawaii and it is the e-commerce space and learning to navigate it, to understand it. And actually, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely SEO, you know, customer acquisition. All of the the the key performance indicators that we have to monitor on a daily basis and and the content that we have to create website development and maintenance, all of those. And they're really understanding what the marketing is, the funnels. And I would like to thank one up for helping us with that, because really what one of the challenges is getting world class ever changing information now to us here. And you've helped us tremendously with that, as have other organizations as many, many a YouTube video. So I know, yeah, Shopify coming in and some of our SEO specialists. So that's a big area and really an opportunity as technologies, I believe, really leveling the playing field for a lot of our companies who are based here in Hawaii to be at that global level, because it's no longer about having your physical stuff and physically every store and across the US and the world, but having that online presence, being able to tell your story and kind of navigate through all the craziness that is online. And that's really quite a powerful tool. So that's great that you guys are making some headway there. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, it definitely is kind of the democracy. It's it's democratized the the retail sales industry. Absolutely. And there it there is a wonderful opportunity for Hawaii and the brand of Hawaii to leverage our native intelligence, so to say. And for our community on a global platform, kind of shifting gears into super not online. You guys had an amazing Mary Monarch booth, I wouldn't call it a booth. You took over two hotel rooms. Can you share that experience and how that's been for you engaging with the community? You know, you really started this company because of the aunties in the community. But how that has been, you know, with the marketing and stuff like that here. Absolutely. Well, our response was amazing. And the opportunity to come in to our first Mary Monarch and to do it in such a grand way. I need to thank Noel Ross from the Nani Lo hotel for that. We had, like you said, we had two rooms that we outfitted with all of our batting as well as our other textiles and decor. And what we did was we had people come up and enjoy some champagne and just have a really intimate experience, you know, touching, feeling, getting in the bed and then just having really good conversations. I was able to share what there's no other avenue, right? That's so intimate and personal, then one on one with your customer to share what the sentiments and the values behind the product is. So that was that was very, very special. But I have to say the best part that kind of brought it full circle. It's a lot of work to bring a company to market. And what kind of made it all worthwhile was I was talking with one of my aunties and she picked up our capillipillo and she walked over to me and she said, baby, what is this? What is this? You know, what is the same? What does it mean? And I shared with her the meaning and the money that we put into it. And then she said, you know, it reminds me of the Pico of my papale. She's a weaver and she then shared about her history in weaving and her kumu and, you know, how this pillow, she was going to, you know, use it as a connection to that whole experience and be able to talk story to the next person about that whole experience. Just because we're talking about a pillow. And that can only happen because, you know, it's someone like yourself who is, you know, from Hawaii and has these incredible stories and really being able to convey those through your textiles and pillows and everything else that it's covering. And so kind of looking at that from a next generation standpoint and her being able to tell that story to the next generation. I know you said Chamonaut has the only training and in terms of textiles and design here in Hawaii. You know, is there any kind of advice that you could give to young people about where they can plug in or opportunities you're seeing, as we're, of course, trying to develop out more of these opportunities for local people, especially in the textiles and design world? Absolutely. There is a large creative, a large youthful creative community here. And they're often doing, they're often doing talk and there's Creative Lab. There is over on the out in Kapolei next to me. They have the film school and within those organizations, they continually talk about creative. And then the design firms themselves, the local design firms, they're very much invested and staked in Hawaii, you know, G7D, Architects Hawaii, WCIT. They all run their own programs. They have internships, shadowing, mentoring, and really, I think it's just a matter of reaching out and or kind of invent bright is an excellent place to find the latest and the greatest for events they can come to, for events that they can come to. Absolutely. Yes. Yeah. So so what's next for Noho Home? We did have just a little bit of time left. So we did just launch our wedding textiles and then we have rugs that are coming our way. Where can people find you? Oh, where can we find you? Well, you can find us at online at nohohomehawaii.com. And we will be doing pop ups and throughout the holiday season. We just finished up at Duty Free and we are not. We don't have a scheduled pop up yet, but we will. We'll be popping up some more soon. We will be popping up soon. We will have our soaps in your gift basket at the Maiden, Hawaii. The Puakene Kei. Yes. Our Puakene Kei scented soap and candle and yes, the candle. They smell amazing and we are very pleased. In fact, I planted a Puakene Kei in my front yard to kind of celebrate the launch of that candle and so congratulations. Jaleen, love all of your stuff and so proud of you. And of course, I'm on a cohort three or two. And so thanks for joining us on the show today and congratulations. And I'm looking forward to seeing you popping up lots of other places. Thank you. Thank you for having me.