What is your name?
Alyssa Kahapea
Where were you raised?
San Francisco Bay Area
Where is your ohana originally from?
Wainaku, Hawai’i
Do you come from a family of entrepreneurs or have people close to you who have encouraged and supported your entrepreneurship?
No
YOUR BUSINESS
What is the name of your business?
Pali Ke Kua Wellness
What is the best way to contact you/your business?
Email: palikekuawellness@gmail.com
Does your business have a website and/or social media presence? If so, please provide a link/s.
Instagram: Kahapeafit
How long has your business been in operation?
2 years
Where is your business located today?
San Francisco, California
What products and/or services does your business provide?
Virtual Personal Training
Please describe your business in 1-2 sentences.
I help busy people get stronger, more mobile, and improve their posture.
Why do you do what you do?
I love to teach, and it feels good to help people improve the quality of their life.
STARTING YOUR BUSINESS
When did you first think of starting this business?
I first thought of starting a business a few years ago. I officially started by business two years ago, working part-time. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, my business has turned into my primary source of income.
What type of experiences (education, work, life) were most important in shaping the skills you use to run your business today?
Working at the lo’i taught me more about running a business. I discovered that it takes many hands working together to create a system that works. Our kupuna created so many systems to keep the wai flowing, the soil nutritious, and the land producing.
YOUR BUSINESS TODAY
In what stage of development is your business: pre-formation, early stage, growing, or mature?
Early stage/ growing
Do you have employees? If so, how many?
In the hiring process
Are you working to get your business to the next stage in development? If so, where are you in that development?
Yes. I’ve hired a coach, and I’m hoping to hire 3-5 people this year 2021.
CHALLENGES
What is the greatest challenge you have experienced as an entrepreneur?
Doing everything on my own.
How did you overcome that challenge? (Or are you still working through it?)
Still working through it
THE FUTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS
How do you envision your business in the future?
I hope to have a strong team of virtual personal trainers and a sales team to help the business keep growing. Eventually I would like to create a wellness center on Big Island and provide more high paying jobs for Kanaka. I would like to have wellness workshops with other natives from other places and countries and have them come and teach wellness workshops from a native perspective.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT A HOBBY, INTEREST, OR TALENT YOU NURTURE OUTSIDE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
I love to go camping at least once a month!
