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Her Story Impressed Me
Q&A With Hoa Kai Surf
I recently met with Kelly Kakalia, co-owner of Hoa Kai Turkish towels. I’ve watched this local Kauai business grow over the past few years. Their playful marketing is what caught my eye along with the simplicity of the products they offer. I knew I needed to meet Kelly. I knew I could learn from her as an entrepreneur. Her insights went above and beyond what I was expecting. At 28 years of age this woman exudes drive, intelligence and openness in a unique down-for-whatever way. Here’s how her adventure in entrepreneurship began:
The idea for Hoa Kai
She had no background as a business owner but that didn’t matter. The idea for Hoa Kai came from of a poncho towel her son was gifted on his 3rd birthday. This gift was used plenty since towels are sort of a big deal on an island. She started to think it’d be cool to make something similar. After spending a day “nerding out” on the internet she discovered Turkish towels. The Turks are known for their intricate rug weaving techniques which they applied to towel making dating back to 7th century A.D. Because the cotton grown in Turkey has especially long fibers, it spins into strong, soft threads which, when woven, possesses superior absorbent properties… perfect for making towels. Hoakai has taken Turkish towels to another level by being the first company to ever print designs on them.
How long did it take to bring the idea into reality?
It took about 3 months for Hoa Kai to launch. Kelly was working full time at night as a waitress/shift manager at a restaurant, while her husband worked as a lifeguard during the day. She would go weeks without spending quality time with her husband while raising 2 boys under the age of 4, building a house, and working to build Hoa Kai. During this time her Dad got diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer and got really sick fast. She ended up becoming his fulltime care giver. Watching her Dad die made her realize that she didn’t want to waste precious time. She knew that meant she needed to quit her job and make Hoa Kai work. She was lucky enough that her Dad got to see the beginning of Hoa Kai and that she quit her job 3 months before his passing. She got to bounce ideas off of him and he got to see her enthusiasm and excitement at starting her first company. Kelly’s Dad was very involved politically on Kauai. Her father, Tim Bynum helped pass the ban on plastic bags, helped write the bill to stop GMO companies here on Kauai from spraying toxic chemicals and raised funds to build the bike path and the amazing Kamalani Playground. He was the biggest influence in Hoakai becoming a reality. His legacy lives on.
What were some of the most important steps in creating Hoa Kai? Most important connections? Most important events/synchronicities?
Some of the most important steps for Hoa Kai were the bumps in the road. Snafus that held up inventory for months ended up being of huge benefit. Some of the manufacturing errors led to new partnerships that actually improved the quality of the towels.
One of the most important connections came from reaching out to collaborate with artist Heather Brown. This is where the idea formed to do prints on the Turkish towels.
One of the most important events was a locally held Kauai type of “Shark Tank” that Hoa Kai won. This event connected Hoa Kai to top local business owners that have provided strong mentorship.
One of the most important synchronicities was making a new connection simply through an Instagram comment. This connected Hoa Kai to all the major Hawaii surfing events, a perfect fit for Hoa Kai towels.
As a business owner what advice would you give other aspiring entrepreneurs out there?
Grit is Kelly’s favorite word. She explained there’s always ups and downs in business, the key is learning how to stay motivated, positive and relaxed when times are discouraging. Her tips are:
Find good mentors.
Focus on getting good at one thing.
Put yourself out there and be open to when opportunity comes around.
Surround yourself with successful people.
Read at least 10 pages a day from books that help the growth of your business. One of Kelly’s book recommendations is The Slight of Edge by Jeff Olson. A next on my list.
Kelly’s top core values:
God
Integrity
Grit
What ways does Hoa Kai give back?
Hoa Kai helps Turkish families keep their weaving traditions alive, an art that has been handed down for generations. Hoa Kai often donates towels to different organizations. Hoa Kai’s donated to the Kauai Lifeguard Association, non-profit Friends of Bethany and continues to donate to different causes every year.
What is some important advice you would give your younger self?
Nothing because she wouldn’t have listened anyway. She needed to learn the hard way figuring it out for herself.
How do you describe success and how would you consider yourself successful?
Kelly describes success from the words of Tony Robbins, “doing what you want, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want”. She’s not there quite yet but she’s grateful for all the growth so far. She also considers success being so financially abundant that donating $1 million dollars to local causes is effortless. I like the way you think Kelly!
This holiday season head over to www.hoakaisurf.com and see what all the buzz is about. My Hoa Kai towel is one of my most used belongings. It’s been on many adventures from mauka to makai. The best part about this gift is it’s so practical, so well made and supports small businesses.
Kelly of Hoa Kai |
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By: Rebekah Steen (aka Goldfish Kiss)
For anyone who ever asked if I could do a beach towel with my artwork on it… here you go. Hoa Kai X Goldfish Kiss Limited Edition Turkish Towels are here, and they’re rather rad.
For anyone who is just on the hunt for a beach towel, I think you’d like it too.
So, long story short, I teamed up with Hoa Kai to make one of their oh so soft and useful, hand loomed Turkish Towels. I came up with a fun print made up of plumerias I’d painted…et voila. You can now lay down, dry off, or be wrapped up in a bunch of puas. If only we could’ve made it smell like them too.
As fun as the print and collab is (we’re so pumped with how these turned out), I think it’s rather amazing what Kelly at Hoa Kai is doing as well. So let me shout out some praises her way really quickly…
Hoa Kai is a family owned and operated business in Kauai. Lifeguard. Two boys. Beach momma. They know beach gear. Big time. So when they found their first Turkish Towels, they were fans, and started investigating where to find the best ones to buy for family and friends.
That’s where the interesting part begins…
They learned that the creation and weaving of Turkish towels has been around for centuries, is an amazing trade that has been taught for generations, and very skilled craftsman are raising cotton and hand-looming these beautiful pieces in Southeast Turkey.
BUT, they also learned that most of the Turkish towels sold today are mass-produced by large scale manufacturing companies. In fact, only a handful of traditional weaving workshops remain because industrial textile manufacturing has all but wiped out Turkey’s weaving culture. Which meant hundreds, maybe thousands of weavers have been put into poverty. Selling these huge quantities of towels at a lower cost put families who have been creating these towels for centuries out of business and out of work. Urg.
That’s where Hoa Kai stepped in…
They wanted to support these weavers and their craft, and definitely appreciate an old-style-shuttled loom more than a mouse click. So, through their research, found some incredible weavers (that they work with directly) who’ve been making Turkish towels for over six generations. They are in a small village in Southeast Turkey near the Syrian border, and have quality that no computer controlled loom can copy. Humans for the win.
So, all because of an initial admiration of a Turkish Towel, some research, and taking a leap of faith, Hoa Kai is bringing awareness, work, and some much needed moolah to some Turkish families who have been struggling.
Extremely functional, soft and well made towels that are covered in a print that’s designed and painted by yours truly, that also helps keep an art form and tradition alive…Yup. I’m definitely a fan of these towels.
For many reasons.
Hoa Kai X Goldfish Kiss - Available at hoakaisurf.com …and at a few really cool surf shops and online stores.
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One of my must bring items while I travel is the Hoa Kai Surf towels which are super cute and can be used for like a bajillion things when your travelling.
I love bringing one of these towels with me. We all know it gets a bit chilly at airports when your traveling, even if your going to a tropical island, you always want to be prepared with articles that will keep you warm (cause you never know!). I use my Hoa Kai Surf Towel as a throw over blanket when I’m on the plane and I wanna get cozy. If I’m walking in the airports, I drape it over my shoulders like a shawl for extra warmth. And when I don’t feel cold anymore, I roll it up and pack it in my backpack which doesn’t take up much room.
Hoa Kai Surf works directly with families who have been weaving for more then 6 years which is incredible because shops now a days are usually mass produced by factories. It’s great to see companies involved in supporting local artisans. These Turkish Towels are weaved to be quick dry and easy to maintain. Wash in cold water and hang to dry. I’ve used my towel as a beach towel, a yoga mat towel, a shower towel, and a blankie. And it’s been amazing in doing almost everything I need it for my everyday activities when I’m travelling.
You know what else is awesome about it? Wrap it around your waist and you got yourself a sharong!! Sometimes when I don’t feel like wearing pants (which is basically like all the time lol) I wrap this around my waist like a skirt. It’s so comfy and it adds to your travel wardrobe which it typically limited.
Check out how I styled my Hoa Kai Surf Towel in Hawaii below. Shop their selection of designs and towels here.
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BY NATALIE SCHACK
Honolulu Magazine: Published 2017.03.15 09:07 AM
Don’t get upset, but we’re going to leave you out to dry. In fact, you should probably get pretty excited about it. After all, nobody likes a wet blanket.
Especially us, which is why we’re throwing in the towel. Well, sort of. Rather, we’re dumping the dime-a-dozen variety and reaching for a leveled-up Turkish towel from Hoa Kai.
The Kaua‘i-based, family-run company’s team was on the same soggy wavelength when it started the brand last year. After one too many trips to the beach turned their home into a mini towel-drying factory, mom Kelly Kakalia took a step back. Moldy, sand-infested, wet-forever, washing-machine space wasters were piling her out of house and home. No more.
Instead, they switched to quick-drying, lightweight Turkish towels. Finer fibers help keep grains of sand at bay, and now the Kakalias have downgraded to a single beach bag for their family of four. A perfect fit, but they also wanted to make sure it was a socially copacetic choice, so they did their research and opted for towels from a small village in Syria-bordered, southeastern Turkey made by artisan weavers—not mass-produced by giant manufacturing companies.
Next step? Share it with the world! And, because the Kakalias are in direct contact with weavers on the production side, they can work with the artisans to produce special prints that fit their (and your) tropical lifestyle. We’re loving the beauties they’ve come up with together, unique patterns that set the Hoa Kai pieces apart in the Turkish towel trend. Think deep, luscious hibiscus foliage, perky birds of paradise or, our favorite, jolly pineapples with stylized flair. Hoa Kai even has a line sporting Hawai‘i artist Heather Brown’s breezy, Island-inspired works. That means, while you’re lounging shoreside, you’ll also be treated to some perfectly on-theme art.
Pretty exciting, right? Talk about a dry seat in the house.
$32.95–$49.95 in the Hoa Kai webstore.