Hawaiian Energy Sports: Taking the Leap Into a New Business (Entrepreneurship: Turning a Dream Into a Reality) I want

to share my experience of developing a new business. The process continu es to be a work in progress, however I often find myself reflecting on where thi s began, where we are now and where I want to go with the busiess. Starting a new business can be a challenging venture. As a small-business owner for the last 12 years, I feel fortunate that I have had a successful, growing b usiness. Approximately 2 years ago, I had an idea for a business that would tak e me in a whole new direction from where I had become comfortable. Fortunately, and of great importance, I knew that I could move in this direction without dis rupting my current business. As an athlete, I wanted to go in a direction that would compliment my life-long passion for high-energy sports. I wanted to channel this passion into providing quality consumer products, specifically a 2 ounce energy shot. As a consumer, I had tried most of the supplement drinks, shots and products on the market. Wi th appreciation of how supplementation can provide you with the nutrients to hel p increase your focus and performance, my goal was to produce a quality product that would have short-term and long-term benefits. Starting with a sketch on a piece of paper, and about two years of "thinking about it", my dream was becomin g a reality. Deciding on a name for the product is where I initially spent most of my days. Understanding little about branding, I did know the importance of the name. Aski ng friends and family their thoughts on a name, I giggle now looking back at wha t could have ended my dream early on. Knowing that it would be the first impress ion of the company, I knew that it had to represent the product and the name, al ong with the label, would be what would attract consumers. The name of the prod uct, Hawaiian Energy Shotz, was part of the business concept from the beginning. In further thinking, I decided that we needed a name for the company, particul arly since developing additional products was part of the business plan. Born w as Hawaiian Energy Sports. With the name of the company in place and the name of our flagship product decid ed upon, I quickly realized that one of the prominent factors of success was bra nding. Looking at the well-known companies, such as Nike, I realized that these well-known brands were well-branded, marketing machines. Just as Nike has Just Do It, I decided that Hawaiian Energy Sports needed a tag line that represented the Islands. Feel the Power of the Islands came to be the chosen tag line. I felt t hat this tag line represented what I was trying to bottle. As any Hawaiian would tell you, there is a magic about the Hawaiian Islands. I felt that the word power captured all elements of the islands: the power of the ocean, the force of the v olcanoes, the sacredness of the lands and the spirituality that surrounds all. As any small-business owners will admit, starting a business can be quite a humb ling experience. I have always known that I didnt have all the answers and I qui ckly learned that no question was a bad question. What I do have, however, is a s trong support system of friends and family that have skills that would help me s ucceed. Not wanting to reinvent the proverbial wheel, I relied on the gained wi sdom of friends and family. Another valuable lesson I have learned is that the beginning is the perfect oppo rtunity to make necessary adjustments. If the formula of the product isnt quite right - reformulate before it hits the shelves. If the colors of the label are not quite as you expected - adjust before the bottle is in the hands of the cons umers. There were times when it would have been easier to not go forward, howe ver I chose to look at the delays as a gift of time that would allow the company a nd the product to have the best start possible.

I look forward to sharing more about my experiences and Hawaiian Energy Sports.