Today we’d like to introduce you to Princess Kaiulani.
Hi Princess Kaiulani, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My name is Princess Kaiulani. My family and I immigrated from the Philippines to Hawai’i in 1998. I grew up in Maui but also spent a lot of my time on O’ahu. My family worked in the hospitality industry, and for a good while, that’s what I was pursuing. I spent my first 2.5 years of college studying hospitality management and half of that time working in Waikiki.
Eventually, I decided to transfer to Southern New Hampshire University and got my degree in Graphic Design and Media Arts. Throughout my time in college, I always fancied the life of “influencers” or as we call them now – content creators. In 2017, my boyfriend at the time, Brandon, (now husband), and I decided to take social media seriously. We started working with a few brands here and there and building a community with other micro-influencers. In 2018, we had the opportunity to move back to Maui, and this is where my first business came to life.
We were both working for my parents and going to school. I started dipping my toes into photography (I did it in high school, but nothing serious!). I photographed a lot of couples and solo portraits. That summer a friend asked me to assist him at a wedding and I completely fell in love with wedding photography. I booked my first wedding alone 2 weeks later. Since then, I put my focus towards weddings, couples, and proposals, all while sharing my journey into entrepreneurship on my Instagram. When 2020 hit, I went from having an almost booked year to nothing at all. In March 2020, my dad got diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He had been a jeweler for over 15 years and to keep his legacy alive I started a jewelry company of my own called Malaya and Grace.
Brandon and I also started our coffee company, Brycks Coffee, later that same year. After months of no work, Brandon and I both decided to spontaneously move to Utah. I documented and shared all of this with my Instagram community. After a hard and depressing 2020 holiday season, Brandon officially took me on as a partner for his marketing company. We went into 2021 running a total of 4 companies together. Since then, I’ve taken a step back with photography and turned my focus towards our 3 other companies and continuing to grow our online presence.
We love sharing our life together and our life as entrepreneurs on social media. Our community has been there with us through all of our ups and downs – from our time as a dating couple, starting and growing our businesses, my dad’s cancer journey, our engagement, our move, our wedding, and now as we take on our next chapter of life together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been struggles along the way! Being 24 years old, running 4 companies, and being a content creator is not easy. Documenting and sharing our lives is also not a walk in the park. People can be mean over the internet, but being able to connect and inspire others makes it all worth it.
I am so lucky to be able to do this with Brandon. Just like everybody else, we’ve been through some stuff. As I mentioned, I had a very depressing 2020 holiday season, and it was so bad that our businesses started to hinder it. But since going through that, I know how important it is to allow myself to feel and take time off for the sake of my mental health. Brandon and I are also so blessed to have the support and encouragement from our family.
We wouldn’t be able to do this without them.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am definitely a serial entrepreneur.
My husband and I do so many things in different fields, so this question is not east by any means. But if it comes down to what I’m known for, I would say I’m known for authentically sharing the real and the raw of entrepreneurship and our life journey. I am most proud of the community I’ve built, the people I’ve helped in business and life, and the connections I’ve made with people and brands around the world.
What sets me apart from others is the way that I use my platform to authentically share our life, experiences, and beliefs.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I always felt like the odd one growing up. I was bullied in middle school so going to school was rough. My friend Brent, who is honestly more like a brother, saved me from some dark times.
I joined the student council in high school to try and break out of my shell and make up for my horrible middle school experience, but I didn’t enjoy that either. I wasn’t popular and wasn’t a complete loner. I had more acquaintances than friends. It wasn’t until I got a job that I felt like I could truly be myself.
My coworkers there helped me break out of my shell, so I owe a lot to them. My parents also allowed me to follow my dreams, even if they didn’t always agree, which I truly believe helped me get to where I am now. They never stopped me or limited me, even as I was growing up.
Contact Info:
- Email: princess@princess-k.com
- Website: www.princess-k.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/princess.kaiulani/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrincessKaaayy
Image Credits
https://www.katherynheckmullerphotography.com/ https://emmgrce.com/
