 Hi, I'm Rusty Komori and this is Beyond the Lines. 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 an extraordinary leader and she's the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce here in Hawaii. She is Sherri Menor McNamara and today we are going beyond business. Hey, Sherri, welcome to the show. Thank you, thank you for having me here. I had no idea that you played tennis. I did, I've been playing tennis since fourth grade. Really? I went to tennis camp on the mainland as well as played for my high school. Waiakea? Waiakea High School. Varsity tennis. Varsity tennis, yeah. Baby and varsity. Oh, nice. Did you play singles and doubles or one or the other? Mainly doubles, but I like singles too. Oh, defense. So tell me, Sherri, where did you grow up at? Sure, so some people, well, most people don't know I was actually born in Tokyo, Japan. Wow. That's because my mom, I was born and raised in Japan. She's from there and she decided to go back to Japan and have me. But I didn't live there immediately. I just, my mom came right back to Hawaii and I was pretty much raised in Hilo. So how was it growing up in Hilo? Yeah, when you reflect back, I loved it. It's a sense of community and the people there, I think in my opinion, are special. And just going back home to visit my mom, I just feel so relaxed and time to recharge. Oh, it's so relaxing and so nice in Hilo. It is, it is. And it's still a very strong and close-knit community, especially with the business community supporting each other. Totally. And what college did you end up going to? I went to, so from undergrad, I went to UCLA. And then I did some grad school programs at USC. Yes, I know there's better rivals. I always tell people it's the undergrad that counts. And then I took some time off and moved back home and went back to school to get my law and business degrees. Geez. So where did you get your law degree from? I went to University of Hawaii. Wow. Richardson School of Law, and then the Schuyler College of Business. Great. So Sherri, I want to ask, what was your first job that you ever got paid for? Well, I actually got a check. Yeah, yeah. Okay, UCLA bookstore. Really? Yeah, I was a cashier. Nice. And I love, for some reason, I love cash registers. So I wanted to do something to that extent. And so I applied to the UCLA bookstore and did that for a while, paid some bills. Yeah, so it was fun. Well, you liked making money. And now you're making money for all these businesses, too. It's about keeping the businesses healthy, keeping the doors open, and ensuring that the business can thrive in Hawaii so that they continue to provide jobs and opportunities. For today, tomorrow, and generations to come. For sure. Yeah. Now, you're married to John McNamara, and John is the longtime associate athletic director at the UH. Yes. And tell me about what John's doing right now. Right now, he's working for a communications firm called Compaq. Nice. So he's been doing that for a couple of years. As you mentioned, prior to that, he was at University of Hawaii as the associate athletics external associate, is it tongue twister? I know it is. Associate athletics director in external affairs. But he was in college athletics for about 32 years. So that chapter closed, and now he's still at Compaq and moving forward. Well, I met him before, and he's such a nice guy, so I'm so happy for him right now. Oh, thank you. He claims he's the Ohio guys, the Midwestern guys are supposed to be nice. Now, Sherry, before becoming the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, what other jobs did you have leading up to that? Do we have time for that? We do, we do. Okay, I had a number of jobs. Yeah, UCLA, as soon as I graduated, I worked in all kinds of different positions. And as you know, UCLA is an entertainment district in the world. So I worked for some entertainers, Elton John. Oh, nice. Yeah, and I also worked for an attorney. I just didn't know what my path was. I was still exploring. Then I did a couple of internships in D.C., one for Senator Akaka, and the other was for President Clinton. Wow, that's amazing. That was before when internships had a good, anyway, we won't go there. And then I worked for Estee Lauder in New York in public relations, and an opportunity in Japan came up to work for Sony Corporation in sports marketing. And so I decided to take that leap and did that for a couple of years and decided it was time to come back home. As I didn't quite want to move back to Hilo yet, so I decided to just move to Honolulu and start my new chapter there. Great. Well, you worked at a number of places and what great experiences you had. I've been very fortunate to experience a number of variety of jobs and positions and different industries. It's definitely allowed me to determine what my passion was and in all those jobs. I just didn't have that. I didn't have the passion. It was fun jobs. I got me wrong. It was fun. But I didn't have the passion. It wasn't until I moved back home and worked while I was going to law school and business school. I worked at the state legislature and that's when I thought I really enjoy and appreciate the public policy making process. So I knew I wanted to do something in government affairs, but not necessarily work at the Capitol yet. And that's when the job of the Chamber of Commerce opened up. I didn't want to practice law, so after the first year I knew right away, I didn't want to, but I decided to finish it. And like I said, I ended up as Chamber of Commerce and 14 years later, I'm still there. Oh, man. And you know, so you've been the president and CEO for the past five years now. Correct. And you've been doing an extraordinary job. I talked to so many business leaders and they speak so highly of you, Sherry. I mean, awesome, awesome job. Now, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges that businesses face today? I think its challenge is obviously the cost of doing business. We see studies come out, the surveys oppose, constantly ranking Hawaii as one of the last. And so that's always challenging and we're a small business community, more than 90% of small businesses. We're talking about local mom and pop stores, restaurants, businesses. And so any time cost of doing business increases just makes it that much more challenging to keep their doors open. And that's where we see us as serving as the business advocate and being the voice of business, especially at the state legislature and we take our roles seriously. Totally. And you've done a number of significant improvements through the Chamber of Commerce for the past five years. What are some things that you're most proud of so far? Well, we've been very fortunate to get the support of our board membership and definitely a high-performing team who's constantly working towards the mission. And so we are constantly looking at and evaluating our products and services, our retooling, refreshing, re-evaluating because we cannot stay at the status quo. We need to ensure that we're prepared for the future as well as ensuring that our services reflects what our membership wants. So a few initiatives that we've implemented that have allowed us to elevate our efforts, one our advocacy efforts. So introducing a business agenda at the legislature every session. So rather than playing defense all the time, we felt we need to offer solutions as well. So that's one. So we've been doing that since five years ago. Another initiative that we are proud of is the Hawaii on the Hill initiative. So what that is, it's an initiative in partnership with Senator Hirono. Okay. We bring businesses to the Hill. Great. And we just had our sixth Hawaii on the Hill and it has grown exponentially. From the first year, we only brought 50 people. Last this year, we brought more than 150 people. Oh. Oh yeah, 150 Hawaii people flying up to DC for a two-day event. That's fantastic. Oh, it was fantastic. And part of the program is a Taste of Hawaii event. So other states do it, but Hawaii never had. And so that's when Senator Hirono approached us, the chamber, to see if we wanted to partner with her. I still remember my meeting with her. She heard that I was in DC. And so her office called and said that she wanted to meet with me. So I did meet with her, talk story, at the end of the meeting, she said, oh, you know, there's a Taste of Hawaii, a Taste of event. Would you like to partner with us? Because we've never done it before. And I said, sure, not knowing the details, not knowing when it was, not knowing what the expectations were. I said, sure, when is it planned for? Oh, in two months. And I'm like, oh, OK. Thinking in my head, how is my team going to respond to this? It was a huge effort. But you know what? The reason why I'm proud of this particular initiative is the participation of our small businesses and our large and business community in general in supporting the effort that showcases Hawaii in our nation's capital and to show that Hawaii is a player in our nation's economy as well. And for them to pay their own way up, contribute all the products, we're talking from Hawaiian chip company, to Spam Musubis, to Kauai Coffee, you name it. We had it there. All the good stuff. Yeah, all the good stuff. And that's why it's the biggest event on the hill. That's a proud moment to see that. Now, Sherri, you see, that's why you're a great leader. You see? I mean, what you've done, I mean, your vision, your planning ahead, the details, all of those things. And you say yes. Yeah, I know, right? Without thinking until after I say yes. So last year, the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce got a national award. We did. Tell me about that. Thank you. So the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, the national organization, comprised of local chambers, regional state chambers. And we went through the application process. It was a very rigorous process, from first building out the application form, then doing an in-person interview. And so it was a rigorous process. Good. But it was worth the time and effort put into it. And Lori and I, we went to Des Moines. It was worth going to Des Moines for. I've been to Des Moines, Iowa. You have. OK, so you know what I mean. And we sat all the way in the back. We didn't think we were going to get it. We just sat all the way back. And all of a sudden, they called out our category, state and province category of the year. So Lori and I were just, OK, didn't expect anything. And the winner is Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. I think they're like, oh my god. And but from where we were to the stage was so long. They ran out of the music, didn't play the song twice to get there. Anyhow, it was definitely a proud moment. And it's a reflection of the support that we get from our membership and their contributions to our community. Such great recognition. And you guys also raised $57,000 for the Institute of Human Services. We have a public health fund that specifically for health and promoting health in Honolulu, the city and county of Honolulu. So every year we have two cycles and we make contributions to help different service organizations that are doing so good work in addressing the concerns of social side of concerns in Hawaii. So the most recent one is our contribution to the Institute of Human Services. Awesome. I love hearing that. Yeah. Now, Governor E. Gay, what initiatives has he been supporting for local businesses? So one of the initiative that he has supported is our manufacturing Hawaii initiative. We launched that a few years ago in an effort to support local manufacturers, as well as the Hawaii brand. And I will be remiss if I didn't mention the legislature too, because they have been very supportive in providing funding to help revitalize the industry and our local manufacturers. So they've been very supportive and the governor as well in terms of signing the bell and holding proclamation ceremonies for us, recognizing manufacturing week. That's awesome. Now, Sherry, some months ago there was a big roasting and toasting event to honor you, because so many people appreciate you and so many people honored you at that event. Can you tell me how that made you feel? OK, first, I have to give you some background information. So we do have an event called the Roast and Toast. And the primary purpose is to recognize an outgoing or past chair. So this year our chair, outgoing chair wanted to defer it to next year. So they're missing someone. And so he pointed at me, you're going to be our honoree. Well, you're legally bold. I know. So I had to, of course, I'm going to listen to my chair. It was a very humbling moment, because I had roasters, as well as toasters, showing pictures of me from small kid time to growing up in Hilo, from pictures from where I went to school, Hilo Union, Intimidant Waikia High School, Proud Public School, by the way. And just hearing stories about them. So I had my roasters included Toby Taniguchi from KTA Super Stores, Connie Lau, Jennifer Svaz in Stanford Car. And so it was, I had no idea what they were going to say. I didn't have a program read before. Usually I read the programs and the scripts, but my team did not let me do that. They surprised me on every single detail. I love that. Yeah, it was a very humbling moment. Sherri, we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we're going to continue going beyond business. OK, thank you. You're watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii with my special guest, Sherri Menor McNamara. We will be back in 60 seconds. Thanks to our Think Tech underwriters and grand tours. The Atherton Family Foundation, Carol Mon Lee and the Friends of Think Tech, the Center for Microbial Oceanography Research and Education, Collateral Analytics, the Cook Foundation, Dwayne Karisu, the Hawaii Council of Associations of Apartment Owners, Hawaii Energy, the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum, the Wine Electric Company, Integrated Security Technologies, Galen Ho of BAE Systems, Kamehameha Schools, MW Group Limited, the Schindler Family Foundation, the Sydney Stern Memorial Trust, Polo Foundation, Yuriko J. Sugimura. Thanks so much to you all. Welcome back to Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. My special guest today is the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii. She is Sherri Menor McNamara. And today we are going beyond business. Sherri, in my book Beyond the Lines, I talk about leadership and creating a culture of excellence. And you, obviously, have a great culture of excellence. Tell me about your culture. Thank you. Part of it is the reflection of my upbringing. As I mentioned earlier, my mom was born and raised in Japan. She moved to Hawaii not having any money, no experience in business. So for her, her value is all about this term gambate, trying your best and never giving up and always focusing on the positive. And so that instilled in me. And also, not too many people know that I actually worked on my grandparents' farm in Pahoa during the summers from picking macadamia nuts and cereals. You name it. Yeah, and we had to sell it in town. So again, it goes back to the hard work. And throughout my career, that's something I held on to. And so I have to attribute that to my upbringing and my parents, as well as my grandparents. So that has carried over, especially at the Chamber of Commerce, where we exceed expectations. We work towards exceeding expectations. Every year, we come up with a new model. So this past year has raised the bar. Yes, I like it. The previous year is grit, growth, and greater good, and bigger, bolder, better. So we're constantly finding different words, powerful words to encourage us to remind us that we need to do this because our membership is investing in us. So we need to ensure that if we excel, they will excel as well. I like hearing that. And hard work works. Work ethic, yes. Sherry, you're a great leader. So many people know that. And I want to ask you, how would you describe your leadership style? I would say my leadership style is from leading from behind, as well as leading in the front. Depends on the situation. And I also lead by listening. I listen to more than I do speak. Because when you listen to people, you get to know them and hear their perspectives. And the power of listening is that, hopefully, you can come up with collaborative solutions. Sometimes it may not work, but at least you're having this open discussion. When you listen to people, the more you understand. So I would say those, that's generally the way I lead. I like that you said that because in my book, I talk about listen first, speak last. Yes, yes. All great leaders do that. What are some things that you're passionate about? Oh, gosh. Personally, I love traveling. I love exploring. I love going to new places. So that's my passion, as well as my two doggies. From a professional standpoint, my passion is actually what I'm doing now. Because it's supporting the business community, ensuring that, again, that they can continue to thrive. My mom owns a small business in Hilo. 40 years later, she still has the doors open, not without its challenges, of course. So I knew what she had to go through to keep her doors open, the trials and tribulations, twists, tears, everything you name it. And my mom is not a unique story. It's a story that is common among many small businesses and businesses in general. So just reminding myself of my mom's story provides me the passion to go to work every day and work hard for our members. I can feel your passion. I can feel it. And you're so happy to be doing what you're doing right now to help so many businesses. Now, Sherry, a lot of people define success in a variety of ways. I want to know how you define success. For me, success is not just about winning. It's more about the effort you put into it and that process. Because the more effort you put in, regardless of the outcome, you try your best. And it goes back to what my mom said, gambate, always trying your best to work towards success. Sometimes the cards maybe not. You might not have to write cards in front of you. And it's out of control. But as long as you tried your hardest, that's all that matters. A lot of it, too, Sherry, is mindset. Because you have to look forward and expect challenges are going to happen, rather than hoping and praying that it doesn't. But inevitably, it's going to happen. So you might as well get in that mindset to look forward to challenges, welcome adversity. Yes. Thank you for bringing that up. Just coincidentally, we have a team meeting every Monday. And we finish the meeting with a question. And one of the questions was about mindset. When you face adversity, how do you change your mindset? And so that was such a powerful word. And everyone on my team just had to think about it. But in the end, for me, it was more mindset, always keeping a positive mindset. Because with every challenge, there's something good out of it. As we've always heard, when there's opportunities, when there's challenges, there's opportunities. And I so believe in that. Totally. Yeah. I always told my team that when we have that challenge, that adversity situation, and we deal with it, and we get through it, then we become tougher for that experience. We become better. We become stronger. Absolutely. We become smarter for going through that experience. So we should look forward to all these adversities. Absolutely. It just makes you a stronger person. And once you train your mindset to think positive and take those challenges, those risks, those negative consequences into a positive one, it just elevates the power of, in our case, the organization and our work and our products. And it's a choice. I mean, it's a choice that we can make. We can choose to be positive or negative. And it takes the same amount of energy and work for either or. Absolutely. Now, Sherry, why are you successful? Oh, I'm successful because of the people that I work with, my family, the people I interact with. It's not a one-person job that makes you successful. So there's so many people that I have to thank because of where I am. And we can't do it alone. We can't do it alone. Who is someone that inspires you? Oh, God, so many. Who would be like one or two that you can talk about? Wow, so I still remember my 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Deborah Miao. She, in fact, I just had lunch with her and she attended one of our events. And I wanted to recognize her because she always believed in me. Even in high school, I had a failing moment. My first failing moment. I can go into DSL there, but I won't. And but she encouraged me. She provided me with positive words and graduation. She gave me a book about believing in myself. And I saw that book 30 years later. So definitely one who I've always admired and who inspires me through her encouragement. But my mom, obviously, because she has worked so hard, pretty much as a single parent and putting her three kids through school and sacrificing so much. And it's so nice to see her finally enjoy and relax, even though she has her business, to focus on herself. So she's another inspiration of mine. And of course, my team continues to inspire me every day to ensure that I can become a better leader for them. Awesome. Now, Sherry, obviously, you've given many words of wisdom to other people through the years. What's some words of wisdom you've received from us, from someone else to you? One of my mentors, she had mentioned, at one point, I wanted to find my voice. And I wasn't sure at one point if I was right for the job. Because I was so comfortable in my own corner with my previous position at the chamber. And taking on a responsibility that's triple or quadruple, that doesn't work, and responsibilities. And even when I did take on that position, I still didn't have that confidence where I wanted to be, even though I was always focused and wanted to do better. So I remember having lunch with her. And I asked her, how do you have that confidence? And how do you overcome challenges? And I still remember she said, you have to ensure that you're comfortable wearing that hat. And no matter how challenging, no matter how uncomfortable, no matter how you think you may not be good, you need to always focus on the hat you're wearing and that you believe in the mission. And after that, it gets easier. But you cannot let your thoughts go away from that. Just focus on that hat. I like that. The hat. The hat. The hat that you're wearing. Sherry, before we wrap, I want to ask you one more question. What gives you fulfillment? Well, I guess we're doing a good job. We're making a positive impact. And when people in the community mentioning that the chamber is helping them and supporting them, then we know we're fulfilling it and we're doing our job. Because each one of our team takes our job seriously and to heart. And we all believe in the mission. And so that's what fills us. I like hearing that, Sherry. And Sherry, you definitely go beyond the lines. I want to thank you for joining me on the show today. Thank you. You are definitely a great leader. And you have such positive energy. And I can see how you're making everyone around you better. Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. And there's a lot of other people too that make me want to be better as well. Awesome. Thank you, Sherry. Thank you. And thank you for watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. For more information, please visit RustyKamori.com. And my book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I hope that Sherry and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs. Aloha.