Humble Beginnings
I was born to immigrant parents who came to the United States in search of the American Dream. I am the first American citizen in my family. For more than thirty years, I have asked one question: What makes a successful life? That question has guided my search for the principles that define it.
That question took me from humble beginnings to courtrooms, military service, classrooms, public service, and eventually writing and speaking. Along the way, I discovered that success is rarely the product of talent alone. It is built through faith, disciplined preparation, learning from mistakes, sound judgment, and service to others. These are the principles that answer the question I have asked for more than thirty years.
This is the story of the experiences, challenges, and lessons that shaped who I am, as well as the principles that continue to guide my life today and define what I believe makes a successful life.
My family. The foundation of everything that followed.
A Love of Learning
I discovered early that education could change the direction of a person's life. Guided by my sister Synthia, I often found myself reading, asking questions, and trying to understand how things worked. Curiosity became a habit, and learning became a lifelong pursuit.
My parents never had the opportunities available to me. They came to America believing education was one of the greatest gifts this country could offer their children. Even though neither of my parents went to college, my mother in particular made higher education for her children a priority. Their sacrifices and work ethic, in turn, instilled in me a responsibility to make the most of every opportunity.
That passion eventually led me to intercollegiate football, the Army, the University of Hawaii–West Oahu, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, a successful legal career, becoming an adjunct professor at Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Hawaii Richard School of Law, and licensure as a REALTOR®. It also led to decades of continuing legal and professional study. Even today, I remain a student. Whether preparing for a Supreme Court argument, closing a real estate transaction, studying leadership, reading or writing a book, or completing Army coursework, I believe learning never ends.
The greatest teachers in my life have reinforced the same lesson: preparation creates confidence, and knowledge creates opportunity. In that sense, preparation is the great equalizer
San Diego Academy 1983 class officers. My first opportunity to lead as class president.
Called to Serve
As a young man, I was drawn to opportunities that demanded discipline, responsibility, and a commitment to something larger than myself. That calling first led me to the Army, where I learned that leadership is earned through preparation, competence, and the willingness to put others before yourself. I also learned and live the Army Values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving Soldiers, commanders, clients, students, and my community. Each role has been different, but the mission has remained the same: help people solve difficult problems, make sound decisions, and leave individuals and organizations stronger than I found them.
The Army reinforced one lesson above all others: rank may grant authority, but character earns trust. As one senior noncommissioned officer once told me about an officer he was having trouble with: “I have to respect the rank. I don’t have to respect her.” Subordinates respect a leader’s rank and character only when the leader has earned it. The best leaders prepare relentlessly, remain humble enough to keep learning, and never ask others to do what they are unwilling to do themselves. Those lessons have shaped every aspect of my professional and personal life.
Serving in the United States Army has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
The Pursuit of Justice
I never viewed the law as merely a career. It has always been a profession of service.
The courtroom is where principles meet reality, and where clients face difficult moments in their lives or businesses confronting significant challenges. Behind every legal issue is a human story, and my responsibility has never been simply to argue a position, but to understand the facts, apply the law faithfully, and advocate with integrity in service of the client. My mantra to prospective clients is and always will be: I don’t take cases just to generate fees; I have to believe in what I’m doing, and there must be a reasonable chance of a good outcome for you.
Over the years, I have represented individuals, businesses, employers, and public entities in matters ranging from employment disputes and commercial litigation to appeals before the Hawaii Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. I have also served on the staff of and advised the Governor of the State of Hawaii. Each case has been different, but every one has reinforced the same lesson: careful preparation, thoughtful analysis, and sound judgment are the lawyer’s greatest tools.
The law has taught me that justice is rarely achieved through emotion or rhetoric alone. It is built through disciplined reasoning, respect for the rule of law, and an unwavering commitment to fairness. Those principles continue to guide every client I represent and every decision I make, enabling me to serve each client well.
Justice requires both courage and humility: the courage to zealously advocate for your client, and the humility to recognize that the law is larger than any individual case. That balance remains the foundation of my practice.
Arguing before the Hawaii Supreme Court—a privilege earned through years of preparation and a profound respect for the rule of law.
Leadership Beyond the Courtroom
Leadership extends beyond the courtroom, the closing of a real estate transaction, or the end of a workday. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my life have come from helping others grow.
Throughout my career, I have taught undergraduate and graduate students, law students, instructed practicing attorneys, mentored young professionals, judged bodybuilding competitions, coached future leaders, and addressed audiences on leadership, judgment, risk management, and the pursuit of excellence. In each setting, my purpose has remained the same: to share the lessons I have learned and encourage others to build lives of integrity, purpose, and service.
Teaching has always held a special place in my heart. I often tell my students that the single most important word in the classroom is preparation. Talent matters, but preparation is the great equalizer. It builds confidence, sharpens judgment, and creates opportunities that might otherwise never exist. For that reason, that principle has guided my own life, and I hope it becomes part of theirs.
Whether I am standing before a classroom, addressing a conference, serving as an Army leader, or mentoring a young professional, I have come to appreciate that leadership is measured less by titles than by the lives we influence. When those I have taught or led leave better prepared, more confident, and more committed to serving others, then I consider that success.
Every opportunity to teach is an opportunity to serve.
A Life of Public Service
Service has never been confined to my military uniform or the courtroom. Throughout my career, I have sought opportunities to contribute wherever I believed my experience could make a real difference.
That commitment has taken many forms. I have volunteered with numerous professional and community organizations, including serving as a commissioner on the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and the Kuakini Medical Center Ethics Committee, and as a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association Board of Directors. Whether working behind the scenes on public policy, helping shape the next generation of legal professionals, or serving as Hawaii State Chairman and Head Judge for the National Physique Committee, the purpose has remained the same: to leave every organization, profession, and person stronger than I found them.
Public service has taught me that leadership is not measured by titles or recognition. It is measured by responsibility, accountability, and a willingness to put others' interests ahead of your own. Those lessons have reinforced my belief that meaningful leadership is built on integrity, preparation, humility, and a genuine commitment to serve.
Looking back, some of the accomplishments of which I am most proud have received little public attention. They are the moments when careful work, thoughtful leadership, and collaboration helped solve problems, improve organizations, or create opportunities for others—for example, spending hours supporting literacy programs for young people in the most rural parts of Oahu (because they have the greatest need). It reinforces my belief that service is about sacrifice. These are the contributions that endure long after any individual achievement is forgotten.
Serving the bodybuilding community in Hawaii, throughout the mainland, and around the world is one of the highlights of my life.
Pursuing Excellence
Excellence has never been a destination for me. It has been a lifelong pursuit of becoming better through discipline, preparation, and service. Shaped on the football field, strengthened in the weight room, tested on long runs, refined in the courtroom, and reinforced through military service, that pursuit has taught me one lesson: meaningful achievement is earned one disciplined decision at a time.
As a young athlete, I learned from football that individual talent means little without teamwork, preparation, and accountability. Years later, distance running would teach endurance: the willingness to keep moving forward long after the excitement has faded. Strength training reinforced another lesson: lasting results are built through consistency, patience, and thousands of small choices that no one else sees. Every rep, every set, every sprint, every mile counts.
Those lessons have carried into every aspect of my life. Whether preparing for a Supreme Court argument, serving as an Army Judge Advocate, judging a bodybuilding competition, teaching future attorneys, or helping clients navigate important decisions, I have approached each responsibility with the same commitment to preparation and continual improvement. That same mindset guides my work helping clients buy or sell a home.
I have never believed excellence is about being better than someone else. It is about becoming better than you were yesterday through discipline, preparation, and service. The pursuit never ends because every new challenge offers another opportunity to learn, grow, and serve others more effectively.
Preparation is the great equalizer. Excellence is the lifelong pursuit of becoming the person that preparation makes possible.
The pursuit of excellence includes ensuring you are strong in mind, body, and spirit. It includes placing a premium on your health and fitness. As a biohacker, my health and fitness are two of my most prized commodities.
Lessons Learned
Looking back, I realize that no accomplishment in my life was achieved alone. Every meaningful chapter has been shaped by teachers who challenged me, mentors who believed in me, friends who encouraged me, and leaders who demonstrated what excellence and integrity look like in practice. Whatever success I have enjoyed is, in many ways, a reflection of the investment others made in me.
Some taught through the classroom. Others taught through example. Some offered encouragement when I doubted myself. Others demanded more than I believed I was capable of giving. Each influenced me differently, but they shared a common gift: they saw potential before I fully recognized it in myself.
Among those who have left a lasting mark are Owen Roberts Sr., whose friendship and leadership demonstrated the value of character and quiet service; Professor Cathleen Stevenson, who challenged me to think critically and communicate with precision; Professor Tim Davis, whose example reinforced the importance of being unafraid to confront the mistakes of our past and how to create a more perfect Union; and Judge Walter Kirimitsu, whose wisdom, humility, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to fairness laid the foundation of my professional career and continue to influence my approach to both the law and life. Each has helped shape not only the lawyer and REALTOR® I became, but the person I continue to strive to be.
Their influence reminds me of an important truth: our greatest legacy is often found not in what we accomplish ourselves, but in what we inspire others to become. If I have been able to encourage students, mentor young professionals, or help others pursue their own goals, it is because someone first chose to invest in me. I hope to honor their example by doing the same for the next generation.
Owen Roberts Sr.: A friend whose character set and enduring example. Professor Cathleen Stevenson: She provided me with legal research and writing tools that changed my life. Professor Tim Davis: The leading sports law scholar in the country who is a shining example of what success means. Judge Walter Kirimitsu: A legal titan and gentleman who taught me to treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO.
Faith & Family
No professional accomplishment has ever meant more to me than the relationships I have built with my family and the faith that has sustained me through life's successes and disappointments.
My career has brought opportunities I never imagined, from courtrooms and military service to classrooms, public service, and leadership roles. Even so, those experiences have continually reminded me that titles, awards, and accomplishments are temporary. Character, faith, and family endure.
Faith has given me perspective during difficult seasons and gratitude during successful ones. It has reminded me that every person deserves dignity, that forgiveness is more powerful than resentment, and that our greatest purpose is found in serving others rather than ourselves.
Family has been my greatest source of joy, encouragement, and perspective. My wife and children remind me every day why excellence matters; not simply to achieve success, but to create opportunities for those we love. They keep me grounded, challenge me to become a better husband, father, and person, and remind me that the most important leadership begins at home.
As I look ahead, I hope my greatest legacy will be the example I leave for my family and the lives I have been privileged to influence along the way, not the cases I argued, the real estate transactions I closed, the titles I held, or the accomplishments I achieved.
The greatest blessings in my life have never appeared on a résumé.
Looking Ahead
For more than thirty years, I have asked: What makes a successful life?
The answer has evolved with every chapter. It began with humble beginnings and a love of learning. It grew through military service, the practice of law, public service, teaching, leadership, and countless mentors who invested in me. Today, I understand that success is measured less by what we accomplish than by the character we build and the lives we help improve.
The years ahead are not about collecting more titles or achievements. They are about becoming a better husband, father, teacher, lawyer, REALTOR®, soldier, and friend. My priorities are clear: continue helping clients through difficult moments, mentor the next generation of professionals, write and speak about the principles that have shaped my life, and serve my community wherever I can make a meaningful difference.
If there is one lesson I hope my children someday remember, it is that excellence is never an accident. It is the product of faith, preparation, learning from mistakes, sound judgment, perseverance, humility, and service to others. Those principles have guided every meaningful decision in my life, and I believe they remain the surest path to a life of purpose.
The story is still being written. I am grateful for the journey so far, excited for what lies ahead, and committed to making each chapter count.
The best is yet to come.
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