Today we’d like to introduce you to Alliya Gabriel

Alliya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

Koa Kards was established in 1996, 2 years before I was born. It was all I’ve ever known my parents to do for work. Koa Kards today, is still in business with 2 more family members. My brother and I are very much involved in the pivoting point of the business. During the pandemic my brother was in high school and majority of his senior year was online, therefore he had a lot more time on his hands to explore his creative side. He has always been artistic and decided to draw local Hawai’i sayings, catch phrases, symbols, flora and fauna etc. It was quickly decided that his designs were funny, cute and inclusive, so why not put it on to a sticker but made out of Koa Wood. Several months into the pandemic I had graduated collage and due to the circumstances, there weren’t may jobs hiring at the time. I decided to design (the now) Koa Kards website. I had no idea what I was doing (thanks YouTube) but i learned how to create product listings, categories, product photography and so much more! Once Covid restrictions started to loosen up, I decided to participate in a few markets in (Hilo) town. It was then, I knew this is what I was good at. I moved back home (O’ahu) a year later and I am currently running the website, wholesale, marketing, events and social media aspect of Koa Kards. My dad is constantly cutting & sanding Koa Wood, my mom joins me at the markets as well as takes care of the financial side of the business. When my brother is home during his collage breaks he is designing new stickers for the world to see!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Between 1996 and 2020, I had no real connection to the operational side of Koa Kards. I was a kid, doing kid things and honestly didn’t care all that much as to what my parents were doing. Occasionally, I would help pack wholesale orders or ride along for delivery but rarely did I take any interest. Just like any small business (especially in Hawai’i) the pandemic was really hard. The whole world stopped and so did the flow of money. I knew that in order to really stay afloat we needed to rely on our local community to support us. Hawai’i in general is very big on supporting local and Hawaiian owned business. Our primary audience is the people of Hawai’i. We have them to thank for all the support during a world wide struggle. Current day, our day-to-day struggles are finding enough hours in the day to complete orders, prep for markets, social media & website posts, Koa Wood production and creating new designs. Thankfully we (my family) all lean on each other to do our part to create a successful local business.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

All of our work is created on Koa Wood. Koa Wood is a tree species that is endemic to Hawai’i. Historically and current day, Koa Wood has been used to make wa’a (canoe), ‘umeke (bowls), ihe (spear), lako hale (furniture). It is a very highly prized and important wood in Hawai’i. Our wood is harvested on Moku o Keawe (Big Island), then shipped to us on O’ahu where all the magic (hard work) happens. Our products consist of; postcards, earrings, notebooks, stickers, keychains, notecards, pop sockets, ornaments, 3D and 6D art. All of our designs are created in-house or by local artists & photographers. My personal favorites and most popular product is our sticker designs by my brother – Makana Gabriel. Majority of his designs are local or Hawaiian based. I am most proud of how evolved Koa Kards has become over the last few years. We went from barely a website, no social media and no marketing content to everything all at once… kind of overwhelming and exciting if you ask me. The biggest thing that sets us apart from others is everything being on Koa Wood but modern, If anyone were to buy Koa Wood for what its traditional intent was, it would cost hundred or thousands of dollars (as it should). Our products are 100% Koa Wood but absolutely affordable, funny, inclusive and local based.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?

Resilience is probably top 3 for a successful business (personally). The ability to shift when one idea doesn’t work out or a product you thought would sellout ends up sitting on the shelf for months. Without the willingness to change and adapt no business will grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.koakards.com
• Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/koakards
• Facebook: Www/facebook.com/koakards
• Other: EMAIL: [email protected]

Image Credits
Josh Ha’o
Alliya Gabriel