Angie Aki of Ohana Investment Partners: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Launched My Business or Startup
An Interview With Doug Noll
It’s okay to be wrong; You don’t have to get it right all the time. You are going to fail forward. A lot. And that’s okay. As long as you learn from your mistakes and make changes so you can move forward, you will be okay. For me that was focusing on a business model too long that I didn’t enjoy. Once I realized that, I made the necessary changes needed and pivoted my business. I also had a couple transactions fall apart. I looked at the deal, identified the issues and put systems in place so it didn’t continue to happen.
Taking the risk to start a company is a feat few are fully equipped for. Any business owner knows that the first few years in business are anything but glamorous. Building a successful business takes time, lessons learned, and most importantly, enormous growth as a business owner. What works and what doesn’t when one starts a new business? What are the valuable lessons learned from the “University of Adversity”? As part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Angie Aki with Ohana Investment Partners.
Angie spent 18 years in corporate America and turned her career on its head when she left corporate at the age of 40 to focus on real estate investing full-time and is now living out her entrepreneurial dream life. Angie’s goal is to help as many people as possible live the life they desire and deserve by identifying and owning their dream and following it. She does this by helping people passively invest in real estate so they can create truly passive income and focus on what is important to them.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I wanted full control over my earning potential and felt I hit a glass ceiling. I know most wealth in America is created through real estate and I wanted that for my family as well.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
Without a salary, there was constant fluctuation in my monthly revenue. It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride until I hit my stride. I also struggled setting up my business in a way that served me and my family well vs how others in the industry had their businesses set up.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
I have always been a type-A personality person and am very self-driven. Once I commit to something I am all in, so that part came pretty naturally to me.
So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?
Things are going well. I recently pivoted my business again so it better serves my family today and in the future. By constantly analyzing, learning and being honest with myself about my goals and purpose, I have been able to create the business of my dreams that allows me to live out my purpose and serves my family.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I am honestly not sure I can think of one. I fail forward every day.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
My company stands out because I am approachable and am building a community of investors. Investing in real estate can feel overwhelming. My goal is to take the overwhelm out of real estate investing so people can confidently grow their wealth through real estate — 100% passively.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
You have to set boundaries. Turn your phone off. Take time off. Include mental health days and exercise into your daily routine.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I have always surrounded myself with an amazing network of individuals who lift each other up and rise to success together. This is through my local and virtual network as well as masterminds.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Yes. I host a local meetup group for women in business. I also host a facebook group to help women discuss and get comfortable with investing in all forms. I am also building and have invested in affordable housing and speak at events to inspire others.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first launched my business” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
1 . It’s going to be harder than you think. It looks easy on social media, but you don’t see all the blood, sweat and tears business owners put in. You have to be committed and not give up. Remember the iceberg — what you see is the tip of the iceberg, but most of reality is what you never see.
2 . You are going to have to give something up. You may be able to have it all — at some point. But when you start out, you have to give something up; either free time, finances to get started, TV, the easy life, etc. When I started my business, I had little free time, so I was very picky about who I was spending my time with. This forced me to take an inventory of people in my circle and “give up” those connections that weren’t mutually beneficial.
3 . You may work more hours, but you will be happier. I will never forget when my husband said, “You work more than you did when you were in pharma.” Here was my response, “Yeah. I guess I do. But it doesn’t feel like it. I LOVE what I do and I am building out the future for our family.”
4 . Whatever your business looks like day 1 will look very different than what it looks like years after it starts. For me this is true because I constantly evaluate and pivot my business, so it serves me the best possible way. For instance, I hired some employees and moved us into an office. I hadn’t worked in an office in years and hated it. So, everyone went to working virtually and I downsized the team because I didn’t enjoy managing a team. You have to go with what works for YOU.
5 . It’s okay to be wrong; You don’t have to get it right all the time. You are going to fail forward. A lot. And that’s okay. As long as you learn from your mistakes and make changes so you can move forward, you will be okay. For me that was focusing on a business model too long that I didn’t enjoy. Once I realized that, I made the necessary changes needed and pivoted my business. I also had a couple transactions fall apart. I looked at the deal, identified the issues and put systems in place so it didn’t continue to happen.
Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?
The best way to manage the roller-coaster ride of entrepreneurship is to focus on your mindset. It’s the foundation of everything important personally and professionally. For me, this means having my morning routine fine-tuned and never missing that part of my day. My morning includes prayer, meditation, visualization, affirmations, bible study and exercise.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
My movement would be to bring a group of women entrepreneurs together for good. We are collaborators, we love community and we greatly impact our families and communities, which has a huge ripple effect.
How can our readers further follow your work online? My website:
www.ohanainvestmentpartners.com
Social Media:
https://youtube.com/@ohanainvestmentpartners
www.linkedin.com/in/angieleeaki
https://www.instagram.com/angie_lee_aki
https://www.facebook.com/angie.lee.aki
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.
