Alakaʻi Collective

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Alakaʻi Collective Alakaʻi Collective develops leaders navigating change by grounding personal growth in community, resilience, and kuleana.

10/09/2026

I’m turning 50, and I’m asking for the one gift that can’t be wrapped. 🎁

I’m usually not one to make a big deal of my birthday. But I’m learning to accept my flowers while I’m still around to smell them.

So here’s my birthday wish: tell me how I’ve made a difference in your life.

Maybe was hanabata days small kid time. I might have been your teacher or youth group leader in Kona. Could have been I was your kid’s principal. Or maybe we’ve crossed paths since I moved to Nashville.

I’m intentionally building a legacy as a builder of community and community leaders. Your stories will help me sharpen my purpose and fuel me to keep going.

👇 Drop your story in the comments or send me a message. Big or small, I want to hear it all!

📍 Nashville friends: Come celebrate with me in person on Saturday, October 24, anytime from 2–5pm at the Scales Farmstead Clubhouse in Nolensville. Please let me know you’re coming so there’s plenty of food!

🤙🏽

Jeff Takiue

Happiness comes from surrounding yourself with people who know you, like you, and trust you.Flip that around: if you wan...
09/12/2026

Happiness comes from surrounding yourself with people who know you, like you, and trust you.

Flip that around: if you want people to support you, they need to know you, like you, and trust you first. A few scenarios:

1 - You're looking for a career change.

You could spend hours applying to every remotely-relevant job on LinkedIn. You'll face a 99.9% failure rate, because you're measuring success by job offers.

Or you could spend that same time connecting with people in the industry you want to be in. Your conversation leads to them getting to know you, like you, and trust you. Now you're measuring success by connections made.

No - it's not a job offer. But consider this: most hiring comes down to people knowing, liking, and trusting you. You should be doing this well before an interview or application ever happens.

2 - You're recruiting volunteers or funders for your non-profit.

Mass emails and social content might get you 10% engagement and 0.5% conversion. Again - 99.5% failure rate.

Or you could meet with people directly, share what excites you about your mission, and figure out how your work adds value to theirs. Trust builds, and suddenly your conversion rates climb because you're focused on the right people.

3- You're a consultant or coach working with non-profits.

Marketing emails, catchy posts, even a podcast or book can make people know you, and maybe even like you — but they won't trust you until you've added real value to them personally.

Instead, you focus on connecting one-on-one with the right people. You ask good questions, and listen for how you can help — a book recommendation, an introduction, a referral. They may never become clients, but they'll become ambassadors, sending you the right people because they know you, like you, and trust you.

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The crazy part - getting people to know you, like you, and trust you isn't about you focusing on talking about yourself. It comes from getting to know them, asking the right questions so they start to like you, and you being present and listening for how you can add value to them.

Want to learn more? Let's talk story. Message me to set-up time to meet!

09/02/2026

Love does not replace grief. Nor does grief dim love.

Angela Grant is one of those friends who become family. I had met her several years ago while experiencing the grief of not having my children with me all the time due to divorce. Through our conversations as well as reading through her first book, The Awakening of Love 2:7, I began to realize that the grief I was facing could fuel the love I could share with my kids.

About a year ago, Angela shared the idea for this book. I was excited - people often talk about grief with a lot of therapy terms. This book paints a vivid picture an actual wedding between love and grief. The bridal party, the cake, even the music being played. No detail is missed as Angela's words describes the perfect union between love and grief.

With all of the symbolism and storytellin throughout the book, I finished the book with a sense of calmness that I've lacked recently. I've gone through a recent loss of a job and income. I had fallen into the trap of thinking that I can't move forward to a do work I loved until the grief had passed. This book reminded me that both love and grief can and should exist together.

My favorite passage from the book:

Love's ring reads, "Remember."
Grief's ring reads, "Transform."

When you can see your grief journey perfectly captured through a description of a wedding - taking steps forward become more purposeful. They are driven with a hope and a delight that treasures the memories while growing through the gift of grief.

You might have read other books, gotten AI to gather strategies for grief, or even sought out therapy. None of that can do what this book has done to craft a story that you can see grief and love so powerfully woven together. I highly recommend this book for those who feel trapped with grief and want to grow in love.

08/31/2026

Driving out to my first Mosaic retreat, I stopped at a Wal-Mart in a small town in rural Tennessee. The cashier greeted the people ahead of me with the usual cashier small talk.

They left and I moved forward to buy my snacks and drinks for the week long retreat. The cashier was silent. I smiled, not realizing exactly what was going on.

I tapped my card, grabbed my bag full of snacks, and said politely "Thank you ma'am, hope you have a great day" in the best southern accent I could muster.

The look on her face was one of surprise, shock, and little bit of embarrassment. It finally hit me - she probably didn't think I spoke English. In my thoughts, I cussed "M___F__er. I speak English!"

Moments like this make me realize I am different from many others in Tennessee.

I'm not black. I'm not brown. I'm not white.

I'm Asian, but not an immigrant or adopted. I'm from Hawaii, but not a Hawaiian. For 45 years, I lived in Hawaii where I had never felt labeled as a minority, BIPOC, or any of the other descriptions that people on the continent use to describe me.

An hour later, I walked into our first Mosaic gathering.

I was unsure of which mask I needed to hide behind for acceptance. With each activity, I began to realize that masks weren't required in Mosaic.

It was safe space to be who I truly am.

A local boy from a small farm in the middle of the Pacific. An Asian American community leader who cares deeply about lifting up the Pacific Island part of AAPI. Someone who loves people and wants to build a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging, resilience, and kuleana.

Just because you are a community leader doesn't mean you don't need a community of your own to just belong to.

And if you read that sentence and said "Amen", then Mosaic might be the right place for you.

Deadline to apply is coming up in a week - September 7th. Don't wait. Apply now!

If you've lost your job, you know this feeling: waiting to hear back can feel like forever.Here's your reminder — you're...
08/31/2026

If you've lost your job, you know this feeling: waiting to hear back can feel like forever.

Here's your reminder — you're in a season, and seasons change.

For three weeks I've watched my plumeria tree, waiting for it to bloom. I've kept my 6-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog from snatching the buds off in a fit of curiosity. I've watered it, fertilized it, even talked to it.

By tomorrow evening, I should have a full flower to show for all that time, energy, and good vibes.

So many of my clients are in this exact spot. They've networked. Built the "know me, like me, trust me" credibility with the right people. Applied. Followed up. Interviewed. Sent the thank-you note. Asked for feedback.

And they're still waiting for someone to say: we want YOU.

That waiting sucks. No nicer way to put it.

The effort, the process, the practice, the rejection, the hopelessness — it's a season. And it will change.

So what do you actually do in the meantime?

Honestly? Find a coach who keeps you focused. Someone honest, encouraging, who walks through the season with you instead of just cheering from the sidelines.

I'm currently taking career coaching clients in social impact. This field has been downsizing across the board, and I know a lot of you have either been let go or are thinking about your next move.

Message me and let's talk story. I'd love to learn about you and where you're headed.

08/23/2026

What do you do when you learn that you're losing the job that let you impact hundreds of lives?

I met Jozef while participating in the Leadership Public Education cohort with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. A few years later, we both ended up on the Chamber's Education Report Committee. I was struck by his character and his deep commitment to education and workforce development.

One day, Jozef reached out and shared the news that he was losing his job — a role where he made a pivotal difference for incoming students who were the first in their families to attend college. It wasn't just the loss of a job. It was a loss of value and identity as a community leader.

Over the following months, I coached Jozef through some tough career challenges. I reminded him that his value to the community isn't defined by a paycheck, but by his wisdom, experience, and deep passion for education. I challenged him to keep networking and connecting with other changemakers in the community. I called and texted regularly to remind him he wasn't alone in this chapter of his career — and to make sure he was doing the right things to find his next role.

A few months later, Jozef started with a new organization — one that aligns more closely with his passion and values. I'm proud to see him grow and thrive in his new role as he continues to build his legacy.

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Know someone facing a career transition or going through one yourself? Let's talk story. I coach leaders and professionals through exactly this kind of change.

08/20/2026

AI gives you what you ask for. Authentic wisdom gives you what you need.

We are all learning how to leverage the power of AI to increase efficiency in all parts of our lives. From finding the best travel deals, refining social media content for clarity, getting the best recommendations and ideas - I'm finding out how easy and comfortable using AI really is. And I don't always like it.

AI gives me exactly what I'm asking for.

Feedback? No problem - according to the algorithms , here's how to make your content sound better.

Gathering information? Let's find all the sources, summarize them, and give you what you want.

You know what happens when I sit down and talk story with an elder or someone with a lot of experience and wisdom?

I don't get what I ask for. I get what I need.

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We may search for wisdom, but often times wisdom finds us. Comment and share your story of a memorable way a nugget of wisdom has found you.

08/19/2026

I stood in front of the Nashville crowd and shared about an event and invited people to join so we can talk story. I immediately apologized for using a term that is common in Hawaii, but grammatically incorrect most everywhere else.

I explained what the term meant and all I could think about when I sat down was how crude my language was. I could hear my college speech professor tell me that I needed to learn how to speak proper English if I ever wanted to be successful.

As I returned to my seat, one of my friends leaned over and scolded me.

"Why did you apologize?"

Another friends loud-whispered

"Don't apologize for using your words. That's who you are!"

That's exactly who I am. I'm from Hawaii and grew up talking story with everyone. That's how we build connections with each other, how we find inspiration, and its often launches new ideas of how we want to make a difference in the community.

Coming this fall, I'm launching my podcast Talk Story with Takiue. I hope you'll take a listen and even join me as a guest!

https://open.spotify.com/show/318ZW1NBnFJEnqif62lrQK?si=4d2b10998cfe40cd

08/18/2026

More than anyone else, leaders need to invest into their wellness and growth.

Rest, healthy eating, exercise - many leaders manage their wellness on their own. Reading, enrolling in courses, and earning certifications can be done with others, but the focus is on learning more than community.

Hui Alakaʻi fills the gap that many leaders face - finding a community where who you are is more important than the title you hold.

In Hui Alakaʻi, you'll have safe space to connect with other leaders who are striving to impact and improve their communities. You'll get training on leadership, self-care, and building organizational health. Best of all, you'll find a community where we uplift and support each other with the belief that when one succeeds, we all succeed.

Joining Hui Alakaʻi is simple - visit alakaicollective.com/hui to learn more and apply.

Intelligence can be artificial. Ancestral wisdom overflows with authenticity.My grandma was always there for me. I would...
08/18/2026

Intelligence can be artificial. Ancestral wisdom overflows with authenticity.

My grandma was always there for me. I would spend hours talking with her when I was frustrated with my parents. She was my biggest cheerleader, my first employer, and the one who laid the foundation into the leader I have become.

A few weeks ago, I leaned into using AI to help me grow my business. I've been self-employed now for a few months now and I've been working on increasing my revenue streams. AI hyped me up - told me that I should charge more, that I can make more money with different services, and had me feeling like a bonafide businessman.

Then I heard the voice of my grandma.

"Community is important"

I quickly responded with "I know" than quickly hushed myself realizing my immature response.

"You really think you need to charge people to be part of a community?"

I realized that the voice of my grandma was the one I trust the most. She taught me that taking care of the community is one of the most important things in life. I saw how she made money through selling the produce and flowers from the farm. And I also saw how she shared off-grade fruits and flowers with neighbors, family, and friends. Our family never ran out of food, we always had clothes on our back, and a roof over our head.

AI is exactly what it is - artificial.

Grandma's voice is AW - authentic wisdom. I'll take that over AI any day.

Share in the comments whose voice in your head and heart do you trust the most?

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