 I was the head coach of the Punahou School Boys Varsity Tennis Team for 22 years, and we were fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. This show is based on my books, Beyond the Lines and Beyond the Game, and it's about leadership, inspiration, and creating a superior culture of excellence. My special guest today is the highly respected general manager of the Hale Kalani Hotel in Waikiki. He is David Barnes, and today we are going beyond leadership. Hey, David, welcome to Beyond the Lines. Hey, Rusty, it's great to see you. Thanks for having me. David, we know each other for many months now, and you are such an incredible person. I mean, I love your character. We are so lucky to have you here in Hawaii, but can you share a bit about your background? Oh, sure. No, thank you, Rusty. I think you're an incredible person, too. My background, as it relates to hospitality, I actually got into hospitality by playing tennis. I needed money for school, so I would play a very different clubs that get different jobs and earn money playing tennis anyway I could. Most of my jobs, though, were in resorts, so I started to look around a little bit, and I really liked the environment and the operation, and I found my way just as I was graduating college. I went to school at UC Santa Cruz, and I was just graduating college, and I started working at the first hotel that I worked at, which is called Chaminade in Santa Cruz, and I fell in love with it. It's such an amazing industry, and I just learned as much as I could. I had great mentors, and from there, I worked a little bit in the U.S. I worked in Minnesota for a while. I worked in Lake Tahoe, and then I was fortunate enough to join Four Seasons. I joined Four Seasons in Philadelphia. They had me in Philadelphia, and then my big dream was to work abroad, so I transferred to the Four Seasons in the Czech Republic and worked in the Czech Republic and worked with them for about six years, and then I joined Shangri-La in China and worked in Asia after that, and then along the way, I worked for Apple for a bit. I'm kind of a tech nerd, so I just kind of filled that bucket, really helped me become a better leader, and then somewhere in between there, I owned a restaurant and then found my way back to hospitality, which is my true love, and now I'm here at Palo Colani, so I've been very fortunate to just have a really great career and land in such a great place in Waikiki with Palo Colani. Oh, for sure. I love hearing your background, and David, I mean, like you mentioned about playing tennis, I mean, you played college tennis at UC Santa Cruz, and I always say that every UC school, I mean, if you're on the tennis team, you got to be good. I mean, they're really good. They always have good depth, so that says a lot about you, and David, I want to ask you about Palo Colani because I love the location of Palo Colani. Palo Colani is an award-winning restaurant consistently. Why is Palo Colani so unique? Yeah, it's a special place. I, you know, it really, I think it's so unique. You go back to the roots of Palo Colani. I mean, Palo Colani has been welcoming guests and serving guests for over 100 years. It just has just unbelievable history, and it's, you know, it's really in our DNA, this gracious service and this sense of hospitality, and, you know, you fast forward to 2024, and, you know, it's just really, it's a part of everything we do. You know, it's not one person. It's the team. You know, it's the team has always made it happen, and we're very fortunate to have the team that we have, and, you know, everybody has that one thing in common, is, you know, that, excuse me, the sense of hospitality. It's just amazing. And, you know, we have, we have our new employees. They all spend about a week together in training before they start their new jobs, and we always talk about that one thing. You know, I always ask everybody, does anybody know each other? And usually everybody says, no, we don't know each other. And I said, I say, do you know you have one thing in common? You know, it's one thing that you like taking care of each other. You like taking care of people, right? And, you know, that's, that's the DNA. And, you know, I, you know, I really believe that's why, how Lonnie has been so successful. You start there, and, you know, we're just able to do amazing things. I completely agree with you because it starts in the valet. I mean, they're so friendly. They're so caring. You can feel like, you know, when you arrive there, they're so happy to see you. And then that transcends into, you know, the check-in desk or just walking around in the area. And I love your restaurants, David. House without a key is, you know, very casual. I love it. Orchids is one of my favorites there. And why, why is orchids consistently, you know, one of the most popular restaurants at Hale Kalani? Orchids, orchids is really special. I think first, you know, I know we've all been to a lot of restaurants, but just, you know, the atmosphere, you know, you're, you know, you feel like you're surrounded, you know, by, you know, just beautiful Waikiki ocean. You feel that, you know, gentle breeze coming in. And then on top of that, you know, we have tremendous chef, chef Christian Testa. He just has the highest standards, you know, he's, he's originally from Italy, but, you know, he just brings, you know, orchids is a Mediterranean, you know, just brings that love for just making everybody feel good and love what they're eating, you know. And then on top of that, it's, you know, it's one of our most tenured teams. I mean, so you come in and, you know, like you said, not only the recognition of, you know, can you feel like you're, you know, in the chef's home or welcoming you back home, but, you know, the team, I mean, they remember, they remember what you, you know, what your favorite dessert is, what your favorite entree is, if you have a special diet, you know, so, you know, all those things come together and, you know, just, yeah, it's just such a, such a wonderful restaurant. We're so proud of it. Oh, I completely agree with you. And right above orchids is one of my all-time favorite restaurants, La Mer. And La Mer is consistently winning awards. I mean, people love going to La Mer to celebrate special occasions. What makes La Mer extra-extra-special? La Mer is extra-extra-special. It is, you know, it's one of the longest-standing five-star, five-diamond restaurants in Hawaii for sure. And, you know, I think, I think the reason Russie liked La Mer so much is when I, you know, would look in it, you know, just talks about teamwork and accuracy and precision. That is La Mer, you know, it is, one of my favorite things to do is just really go up and watch the team, you know, they're just, it's like an orchestra without, they can hear the music and nobody else can. And they're always in sync. When we talk about the tightness and the closeness of a team, you could get no better. And, you know, their execution is just flawless. And, you know, they can, you know, they can cook for, you know, they can have and can cook for royalty and then they can spin around and they'll cook for somebody's anniversary. And it's always, it's the same quality, it's the same creativity and, you know, it's just, you know, it's so special because of the teamwork. You know, it really is an incredible team. And not just the front of house, you go into the kitchen, you know, with Chef Alex, Chef Tronsche, and he, you know, it's amazing to watch. It's actually, I think on a lot of TV shows, you know, you think you go into the back, into the kitchen of a five-star restaurant. Excuse me, and it's noisy. But it's not noisy. It's actually silent. And everybody knows what they need to do and they're just precisely doing it. It's amazing to watch. You know, again, like an orchestra, no music, but everybody knows their role and they're all striving for perfection, you know, every time. And yeah, it's just a fantastic team. I agree. It's so seamless. When you see the host until you leave, it is like a carefully orchestrated dance. I mean, it's really amazing what they do. And David, you also oversee Halepuna. And I was at Chef Vikram Garg's restaurant, Umi, a few weeks ago, and that was terrific. And tell me about Umi. Umi's very special. It opened last year, and Chef Vikram just so excited to get it open. And it's become, you know, it's the perfect complement to Halepuna. Halepuna is a boutique luxury hotel. It's one of the few in Waikiki. And the reason they pair so well is it's just, you know, the Umi has great energy. The creativity, you know, you think you're ordering loco-moco, and it's going to be one of the best loco-mocos you've had, but it's going to be different than any loco-moco that you've had. And, you know, and that's Chef Vikram's, you know, that's just what drives him is not only what you would expect is the quality and the consistency, but also that he just has this wonderful creativity and just keeps pushing the envelope. So we've been so happy to have that, you know, as part of, you know, as part of our restaurant group that we're slowly growing, you know, and the guests, you know, just think it's wonderful. It's been really well received, and, you know, we're just so happy he's doing so well. He's actually, he'll be celebrating his one-year anniversary next month, and it's gone so fast, but he's, Umi has done, you know, so well in such a short amount of time. We're really proud of it. Well, I have to say there's some dishes that Chef Vikram has created that I need, so I probably have to get back in a few weeks to celebrate that one-year anniversary, and David, one of my favorite places to be at, at Halakalani, is Lour's Lounge. I mean, tell our viewers about why Lour's Lounge is just so classy and just comfortable at the same time. Yeah, Lour's is, you know, it's kind of, some people call it the best kept secret. I don't think it's much of a secret lately. I mean, I don't think it's much of a secret. There's always a line out the door, which, you know, we wish it was a little bit larger so we could accommodate everybody, but, you know, it has the best jazz music that you'll find in the city, but you don't have to love jazz to enjoy Lour's. It just, it's a place to go, you know, to enjoy very high level, you know, entertainment in an environment that just, you know, it's just warm and cozy, friendly. We have a, you know, we have our regular artist, you know, Maggie Herron really stands out. She's one of the most popular, she's a Grammy-nominated artist that, you know, just, she never, it's never the same, it's never the same experience twice with Maggie. She makes it different and wonderful every time. And we also, we have a series that's called Live at Lour's where we bring in other very well-known artists to Lour's two, three times a year, you know, to make it extra special, but it's, you know, just, again, wonderful team there. They, you know, welcomes everybody into Lour's and, you know, just different every night, you know, just different experience, but just really high level. We also, we, Lour's just has, also has wonderful cocktails. We have a, our mixologist, Tuda, who actually, she was recently promoted to Director of Mixology, and she's just the cocktails that she's put together throughout the property that specifically Lour's are just, you know, phenomenal. So, you know, so those have discovered it, you know, just, it's there, so many people's kind of their little hideaway on their trip to just go and enjoy themselves or bring friends and family to enjoy it. And again, yeah, just very special place for the entertainment and the team. Well, whenever I get invited to Lour's lounge, I always say yes. Good, thank you. Thank you. Earlier you mentioned about, you know, your team, your employees. I mean, what, what do you focus on really with your, with your entire team at Hale Kalani to really provide a special guest experience? What are your priorities? Our priorities, you know, it, your luxury, it's such an interesting word. And post COVID luck, the definition of luxury, I don't think anybody has a clear definition of it. And we talk about it a lot, you know, just what people, you know, are, you know, what are their expectations for their stay? And, you know, Hale Kalani, we're definitely not inexpensive, right? I hope people have, you know, they have high expectations. And, you know, what we're, what we're looking for is really just, you know, our goal at the end of the visit, that people not only feel that there's value, but also that, you know, we've exceeded their expectations in every way. And, you know, that's, it's, that gets harder and harder with the team, you know, it's, you know, because people's, you know, expectations have changed. But, you know, we really, you know, we empower our team to do the right thing. You know, we really focus on, you know, just giving them permission to, you know, take great care of the guests and to also encourage them to, you know, to give guests things that they're not even sure that they are, give the guest options that they're not even sure that they want, but, you know, to just really use their EQ to provide very high levels of service. And it's tough with new employees, you know, and it's, you know, it's a long journey for them to really be able to serve at that level, but we're just really lucky that they, they have a lot of mentors around them, you know, but it's, you know, it takes a lot of support, a lot of positive feedback, you know, a lot of coaching, you know, to really get them there. But it's, you know, we're just really proud of the team. And we also, we make sure that, you know, we always go out of our way to recognize when somebody's modeling the right behaviors, because, you know, that's, you know, it's contagious. You know, others want to, you know, learn from that and, you know, and then, you know, and then follow the same suit. So, but, you know, it's a never-ending journey. It's, but we're, you know, we've been, you know, recognized again and again for our guest service for exceeding expectations, but we don't stop there. We always keep challenging ourselves, you know, to just keep taking it further. And even if it's a guest that's been here, been visiting us for 40 years and they think they've seen it all, they always, you know, try to find a way to, you know, to, to exceed their expectations. We had a guest who just, they celebrated their 200th visit. And, you know, she, she, she was sure she'd seen it all. She knew all our team and we had the 100, 200th visit. We did everything in increments of 200. So she had, when she arrived, you know, she loves M&Ms, so she had 200 M&Ms, proportioned out in her favorite colors. She came back to her room one night and she had 200 flower petals, you know, designed, you know, in a, you know, in a, in a heart, you know, on her bed. We did, yeah, so many different things in 200s. And, you know, these are the things, you know, actually is the team's idea, you know, and they love to do these things to just, you know, when we talk about providing, you know, just that, you know, that unexpected service, you know, create that value, you know, it just, you know, it becomes, you know, it's part of our, before it's part of our DNA and it's why, you know, people keep coming back home to Holly Kalani. Wow, that's impressive. I mean, 200 visits, that's, that's amazing. And David, another area that I really like to go to, that you have live entertainment is right out, right at the house without a key, you have Hawaiian music and hula. Can you tell me about that? Oh, sure, Rusty. So house without a key is always been very popular, not only with visitors to the island, but also local guests. We're really proud of just how many, you know, just the mix of customers that are in the restaurant. And we renovated post-COVID, the restaurant, which included more seating and just, you know, just improved kitchen and larger service areas. So it's really, you know, it's become, you know, the place just to, you know, just to enjoy an evening. And as you mentioned, we've always had just very high level of Hawaiian music and hula, you know, every evening. And, you know, it just, I think it's become, you know, at least one night of every vacation. But we find that after you experience it one night, people, you know, they clear their schedule and add a couple more nights, you know, for house without a key. Yeah, just wonderful menu. Again, Tuta's done wonderful work there. We have just beautiful cocktail menu. And just the, it's the perfect, you know, just behind that kiawe tree is a natural stage. It's, you know, yeah, when you think of Hawaii, I think how could you not think of, you know, just house without a key in the evening, you know, enjoying the hula and a cocktail. And yeah, it just, it's just such a wonderful experience. And we've also added, we've extended the music into the evening with a second set, which has been very well received. You know, I just, you know, it just keeps the experience going in the evening. So yeah, just, you're so proud of the changes that we made and glad that we're able to accommodate so many more people and to experience house without a key. Well, I love it there. And it's so interesting because there's always a great blend of visitors and locals. I mean, and it's so comfortable. I mean, you just feel so relaxed there. And David, you brought me in this past year to do a keynote speaking for your leadership team. And your leadership team, I have to say, they're all exceptional high achievers. They're always looking to strive for superior excellence. And I love that. And what, what was the impact of my speaking with your leadership team? You know, it was, and thanks again for, you know, working with us, Rusty, it, you know, we, we're a new team. And as I told you, and, you know, we're, we're also, you know, we're, we're figuring each other out and, you know, and setting our goals and expectations of each other. And, you know, it was just so inspiring for the team to hear your story. And, you know, as you said, they all drive themselves forward. And, you know, to, you know, to hear, you know, what you've done with your teams, right? And what your expectations are. And, you know, because I think so, I think sometimes when, you know, when you're striving, you know, for excellence, you know, or you're striving to, you know, to maintain or exceed a certain level. Sometimes you start questioning yourself and maybe, excuse me, maybe you're getting a good, like a good enough mode, you know, and, you know, I, you know, I know connecting with you and just, you know, and just hearing how you, you know, just really moved your team forward and you set a goal of excellence and you achieved it and then didn't stop there and just kept going further and further. It was really inspiring to them. And I, you know, I saw them come back and, you know, they had a, you know, kind of the confidence in their step and I, you know, I saw them like, you know, kind of relooking at where they were at and where do they want to go and, you know, how they were defining excellence and, you know, and how they were defining the best experience. And, but also, you know, I think, you know, when you, when I reflect back, my best mentors were coaches, right? So you being a coach and, you know, and sharing that as a coach, you know, it just, it also reminded them that they're coaches, you know, that they're coaches of their teams and, you know, they need to coach their team. So, yeah, so thanks again. Yeah, we'll, we'll definitely do it again. But yeah, it was just so inspirational for them, you know, and it's really stuck with them. Well, I felt so great to be there with them and they have so much positive energy. And, and David, you got both of my books for, for all of your leadership team as well. Yes, thank you. And my, I have my third book, Superior, will be coming out very shortly. What are some concepts that stood out to you in the books? You know, I, I was hoping you would ask that question. So I, yeah, I wrote them down. So, you know, you know, the first one was, you know, I either, I'm just, you know the quote, you wrote it, but great leaders are not born. They're made. They're made through the influence of others. And I remember when I was reading the book, I referenced back, but, you know, I highlighted that section because I just really believe in that. And, you know, when we, we all are on our journey and, you know, and we're, you know, there are other people who see things in us that we don't, you know, and they, you know, and they take us further. And, you know, and really this is what, you know, and just, you know, an hour, this is what you did for my group, right? You know, is you added tools to their toolbox, right? That they didn't have before or made them think of things in a different way, you know? So, you know, so that, I really believe in that. And I've been fortunate. I try to, you know, to make sure I can do that. Any opportunity I see, you know, with others, you know, to be part of forming, you know, them, you know, you know, has that great leader. So that really stood out. And then one for me personally was, you know, I wrote down, it's your thought, control it and own it, you know? And interesting, but I, you know, I think, you know, I really always try to approach things with a calm mind, you know? And, you know, you just, you know, keeping control of your thoughts is, you know, it's just so important. They can, you know, there was a part in your book that talked about, you know, you can, you know, you can have the best mechanics, but it's your mind that, you know, is going to make, your mind is going to determine whether you win or not. I've experienced that on the, on the court and I've experienced that off the court and, you know, just, you know, that really resonated with me a lot. And I think it's, yeah, just really important for anything in life. Well, I love hearing those things, David. And, you know, you are a great leader. And like you said, you know, great leaders build other great leaders. How would you, how would you describe your leadership style? My style, I always try to approach everything with balance. You know, it's, you know, it's a balance of, you know, really driving for results, but also being supportive. You know, I, you know, I think as we move through our careers, we've seen what it's like when we're out of balance and we see how good it feels like when we, you know, when we're centered, you know, so, you know, so as a leader, it's, you know, I'm, you know, I, you know, I like winning, you know, I like achieving, you know, I like achieving my goals. So, you know, so I'm either, but you can't just, can't just do that. You know, that's why it's important to, you know, that where the support comes in and the guidance and the coaching, you know, but, you know, if I were to choose two things, you know, that defined me, it'd be, you know, it'd be really the driving for results, you know, but also the support, which to me is, is balanced. Oh, I love hearing that. And I want to, I want to ask you about Peter Schoenlin, Halla Kalani, C-O-O. I had him on my show. Oh, sure. And you guys have a great relationship. I love Peter Schoenlin. And basically, I want to ask you, what makes him a great leader? What does, what does he do? What's the number one thing that he does that makes him great? Peter, wow. There are a lot of things that make Peter great. He, my favorite thing, we were just talking about this the other day, is he, he is so creative. I will tell you, you know, as you know, he's, he's a musician, he's an artist. He, you know, so I think what makes Peter so great is just when you think, you know, that you've, you know, pushed beyond, you know, that you've pushed way beyond whatever obstacle you've set up for yourself, Peter as a complete, like sees it just so differently, right? Like, you know, and shares that with you. And, you know, we, we, I mean, you look at all the wonderful things that Holly Kalani's done, like they're, they're just, you know, between him and Patty Tan, like it's this, you know, they're the perfect team. It's this, like, yeah, the just, this inspiration and creativity. So that's my favorite thing. And the other thing I really enjoy about Peter is, you know, as a leader and reporting to him is he, he just believed, you know, he believes in you, you know, he, he's just so supportive. And if you think you have a great idea, he's, you know, he said, go for it, you know, and how can I help you get to where you want to go, you know, and that's, you know, it just, yeah, just a pleasure working with him. I love what you said there about Peter, about his creativity, and then I feel his passion. I mean, he's, he's so passionate about what he does. So, no, it's just so great that, he's been there for so long. And Holly Kalani continues to sustain success, which is, which is huge. And Peter, David, I want to ask you one more thing before we wrap up. Sure. What gives you fulfillment? Oh, it gives me fulfillment. You know, I, I go, I'm going to go back to balance, but it's really, I love my family so much, you know, and to me, if the fulfillment is when I'm able to, you know, have success, you know, with my family, but also at the same time have success with my career, you know, and I find that balance. And, you know, I think that's when I'm, you know, that's when I'm centered and when I'm at my best and, you know, we all go through life and maybe we'll get, you know, off center a little bit, but, you know, the goal is to always, you know, just to find that center and make sure that I'm a good father and a good husband. And at the same time that I'm, you know, just a really good general manager for Holocaust Lonnie. And Holocaust Lonnie. Yeah, well, David, I have to say you are. I mean, I know you and you are a tremendous leader and you are a fantastic person. And I want to thank you for taking time to be on the show today. See, no, it's an honor and I really enjoyed it. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks, David. And thank you for watching Beyond the Lines on ThinkTek Hawaii. For more information, please visit RustyKomori.com and my books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I hope that David and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs. Aloha.