Episodi

  • What They Don't Tell You About the US Senate

    What They Don't Tell You About the US Senate
    Oct 23 2026
    U.S. Senator Brian Schatz sits down with Evan Leong for a candid look at the person behind the title, from growing up as one of four brothers in Hawaiʻi to winning a State House seat at 26, getting demoted after a failed leadership challenge, and finishing sixth in a run for Congress. Schatz opens up about the lessons that shaped his approach to public service: why words are actions, why losing builds humility, and why the U.S. Senate is far more bipartisan than cable news lets on. He also shares what Washington gets wrong about Hawaiʻi, how a grassroots Obama for Hawaii campaign drew around 50,000 people to the caucuses, and why the expansion of Papahānaumokuākea is the one legacy he would keep above all else. Watch now to hear his best advice for anyone who's always in a hurry: you gotta go slow to go fast.
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    1 ora e 2 min
  • Why Successful Leaders Self-Sabotage | Jason Lazzerini

    Why Successful Leaders Self-Sabotage | Jason Lazzerini
    Oct 9 2026
    What makes a leader who has everything blow it all up? Jason Lazzerini, Executive Vice President at Central Pacific Bank, joins Evan Leong to unpack why successful leaders self-sabotage, and why the answer usually lives in unmet needs rather than bad strategy. Jason traces his path from jazz saxophonist on cruise ships to pitching bank products in grocery store aisles to the executive suite, sharing his framework for balancing desire with service and building an "ark" of character before the flood comes. The conversation goes deep, from reconnecting with a biological father who never truly came back from Vietnam to honoring the stepdad who chose to love him, and how grief reconnects us to the love we've lost. Watch now to learn why mastering yourself is the first step to leading anyone else.
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    1 ora e 48 min
  • I Volunteered For Hawaii’s Hardest Job

    I Volunteered For Hawaii’s Hardest Job
    Sep 25 2026
    John Komeiji went from a self-described C student who planned to be an auto mechanic to a 30-year trial lawyer, president of Hawaiian Telcom, general counsel at Kamehameha Schools, and now the first volunteer chair of the Mauna Kea Stewardship Oversight Authority — the toughest job of his life. Sitting down with Evan Leong, he traces the mentors who redirected his path (Uncle Keiji Kawakami, Wesley Park, Dr. Ma), the Rocky mindset that made him outwork everyone as a lifelong underdog, and the leadership regret he still carries from his early years. He also opens up about the deeply held feelings on every side of Mauna Kea, and why he believes Hawaii's future depends on people leaving their silos to build trust and respect. Watch now to hear how one "regular guy" keeps getting chosen for the hardest work — and what he's learned about bringing a divided community together.
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    1 ora e 22 min
  • Why I Dropped Out to Surf the World

    Why I Dropped Out to Surf the World
    Sep 11 2026
    Professional surfer Jack Ho grew up in Waikiki chasing waves after every school day at Punahou, envious of the homeschool kids who surfed dawn to dusk. Years later, holding a Duke Kahanamoku scholarship to UH Manoa, he walked away from the conventional path to build his "Jack From Town" brand and chase swells across Fiji, Indonesia, France, and beyond. He and Evan Leong dig into the unglamorous reality behind the highlight reels: the airport yard sales of foil gear, the fear of paddling in alone from a mile out at sea, the localism you earn by respecting a lineup, and the parents who told him to do what makes him happy. This is a story about connection, risk, and figuring out who you are when nobody hands you the map. Watch now to see why Jack bet on himself.
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    1 ora e 50 min
  • Confronting The Illusion Of Extreme Ambition

    Confronting The Illusion Of Extreme Ambition
    Aug 28 2026
    Chenoa Farnsworth, managing partner of Blue Startups, sits down with Evan Leong for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from Hawaii's startup ecosystem to the inner life of the people who build it. She traces her winding path from a Big Island macadamia nut farm to health policy in Washington, D.C., to founding Hawaii Angels, Kolohala Ventures, and Blue Startups — and why she turned down a Silicon Valley VC job to raise her kids at home. Along the way she and Evan dig into the shame that quietly powers so many founders, the loneliness epidemic haunting high performers, the sexism that lives loudest in parenting, and a meditation-retreat experience that reshaped how she sees success. Watch now to learn why the whole person — not just the CEO persona — may be the real key to building something that lasts.
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    1 ora e 41 min
  • The Unexpected Path to Congress | Ed Case

    The Unexpected Path to Congress | Ed Case
    Aug 14 2026
    Long before Washington, D.C., Ed Case was a kid from Hilo who describes his childhood as "Norman Rockwell, but Hawaii" — the only haole in his class, surfing after school and never once thinking about race or ethnicity. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ed traces the unlikely path from a small-town upbringing on Hawaii Island to the U.S. Congress: the family that left a Kansas law firm generations ago, the culture shock of an elite New England college, the poster on a career-office wall that sent him to D.C., and the lessons he absorbed working for Senator Spark Matsunaga. It's an honest look at forks in the road, close-fought elections, and what it really means to find your passion and chase it. Watch now to hear how staying home shaped everything that came after.
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    1 ora e 20 min
  • Leading Through Tragedy | Chief John Pelletier

    Leading Through Tragedy | Chief John Pelletier
    Jul 31 2026
    From the deadliest mass shooting in American history to the most devastating wildfire tragedy in modern U.S. history, Chief John Pelletier has spent his career leading through the unthinkable. As incident commander during the 2017 Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas and now Chief of the Maui Police Department during the catastrophic 2023 wildfires, Pelletier opens up about what it actually takes to make life-or-death decisions under unimaginable pressure — and what it costs him personally as a husband and father. He shares the moment his wife told him to leave for a hostage rescue on Christmas Eve, the truth behind the false narratives that spread after the Maui fires, and why officer wellness matters as much as crime fighting. Watch now to learn how Chief Pelletier leads with compassion through tragedy.
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    1 ora e 10 min
  • The Honest Cost of Leadership | Mayor Derek Kawakami

    The Honest Cost of Leadership | Mayor Derek Kawakami
    Jul 17 2026
    Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami sits down with Evan Leong for a rare, unfiltered conversation about leadership, loss, and legacy. From surviving Hurricane Iniki as a teenager to losing his mother, father, and brother within eighteen months, Derek opens up about grief, mental health, and why he refuses to stay silent about his brother's suicide. He shares how his wife Monica's wisdom shaped his run for office, why he built Kauai's first inclusive playground, and what's driving his campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Watch now to hear why real leadership starts with honesty, not perfection.
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    2 ore e 2 min