The Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Podcast Presented By SilverShark Media

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media talks with Shay Smith (one of the owners of Ocean  Vodka) & Michael Moore (one of the owners of Old Lahaina Luau).  In this podcast Shay talks about how Ocean Organic Vodka went from a family idea into a global business, what went into developing a quality product without experience in the industry, the challenges of getting Ocean Vodka on the shelves for people to purchase, the initial impact of Covid-19 to the business, how Ocean Vodka turned part of it's distillery into manufacturing 25,000 bottles of hand sanitizer that has been donated to the front lines of Maui's community, why it's important to buy local especially in challenging times, and how to contact Ocean Vodka for their new hand sanitizer. Jason also speaks with Michael Moore from the Old Lahaina Luau (17:07) about how Old Lahaina Luau started in 1986, the early challenges of starting a business, why they moved to their current location of Moalii, their decision to keep the luau as true to Hawaiian culture as possible, getting employees to believe in the vision of luau, the community involvement over the years of Old Lahaina Luau, what steps they had to take with Covid-19 and the difficulty of temporarily closing with so many employees, and how the future may dictate changes in their business. 

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine talks with Chef Kyle Kawakami and farmer Monica Bogar.  In this podcast Kyle discusses his path from zoology into a culinary career, why he decided to launch a food truck (Maui Fresh Streatery), how he wanted his food truck to be connected to a community, his Aloha Tip Jar that helps people in need on Maui, how he's had to adapt his business with Covid-19 impacts, how he has stayed engaged helping the community during this time, his hope for the future, and he reflects on winning the Chef of the Year award in 2019 at the Maui No Ka Oi Magazine 'Aipono Awards. Diane also speaks with Monica Bogar of Napili Flo Farm (27:57) about her award winning locally made kimchi, how she started her microgreen farm and went chef to chef to grow her business, why she changed over to making kimchi, the health benefits of fermented products, and her advice for entrepreneurs. 

Maui No Ka Oi Magazine and SilverShark Media are proud to present a new Maui-based podcast beginning April 14th.  The podcast will feature interviews with community leaders, industry experts, and small business owners as they adapt and cope with unprecedented times on Maui.  We want this to be informative, insightful, and inspirational to listeners as we share stories of ways our island community is working together.  New podcast episodes will be released every Tuesday & Thursday beginning April 14th.