Corrections: An incorrect photo was originally published with this story.
On May 5, Long Beach City College held a Zoom panel featuring Pasifika community leaders and focusing on their journey through entrepreneurship and media.
The guests were Jake Kalahi, who runs a podcast called Humble Hustle, Celine Yandall owner of SweetNina’s Cookies, Veronica Pome who is a model, Bri Kahanu who runs a show called “Against the Grain,” and Joe “Savage” Fa’avae a radio host, co-founder and executive producer of Island Block Radio.
The event lasted a little over two hours, the host introduced themselves, their hurdles, and countering narratives with their own.
Kalahi opened the presentation by defining the Pasifika diaspora.
“Pasifika is a language term to be more inclusive to different cultures, identity, nations, and islands. Diaspora, refers to a group of people who have made their lives for themselves outside the islands,” Kalahi said.
“This panel series is to engage in topic discussion we couldn’t have ourselves for our communities, outside our island,” said Kalahi.
Kalahi finished his introduction and said, “We are navigators, we came from the Pacific. We are creating lives for ourselves, for our communities, outside of our islands.”
One of the first topics of discussion was complacency and how to avoid it.
Yandall explained one of the ways to avoid it was to surround yourself with people who are creatively stimulating.
“I’m always putting myself in a creative space that I know I can benefit from,” said Yandall.
Bricasso explained how she had to wrestle with doubt from her family.
“My parents are from the industrial age, they’re very much used to coming over here, getting a job, taking care of their family… I don’t dream of working for someone else, I want financial freedom,” said Bricasso.
Next, they each discussed a reaffirming moment for them.
Pome said, “It was when I first started doing community work, I knew because no one told me I had to do it.”
For Savage it was when they had their big break when his show Island Block Radio formed a partnership with the entertainment company Live Nation.
“It started off as a hobby and turned into a passion…. We formed a partnership with Live Nation and for the past 5-6 years, we have been the go to for the live events and concerts.”
Amongst the barriers he faced, Savage explained that he had to overcome how people viewed him.
“Everytime I stepped into a room, they honestly thought I either played football or I was security, not that I was talented or that I owned the company. You really need to articulate who you are,” Savage said.
At the end they took questions from the audience and closed out the meeting.
Humble Hustlers was a series of presentations by those of the Pasifika Diaspora community, and how they found success in these news lands.