You Only Fail When You Give Up

YouTube was initially a dating site. Fast forward to now, they're the number one online-video sharing platform estimated to reach $5.47 billion of ad revenue in 2020 alone. But what happened between then and now?

Our Oak + Pine Society is reading The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky in our book club. This book gave me a cartoon-like visual of successful people standing on a pile of crinkled scrap paper high enough to reach the clouds.

Pivoting is your number one skill as an entrepreneur, but it's messy. It's easy to lose hope, confidence, direction. But when you feel that burning desire to do something big, creative, and fulfilling - that nagging feeling will keep coming back.

Nina Arakaki is the co-founder of Real Estate And Living (REAL) Hawaii, a real estate product and service company. After a dozen attempts at a startup, this one finally stuck!

Michelle: What led you to start your own real estate staging business?

Nina: When I first graduated from college, I wanted a stable career and provided enough income to support myself and my future. Unfortunately, I hid away my passions for the sake of stability, and it left me unfulfilled and depressed.  

I had a deep desire to create, design, and build, which wouldn't disappear. So I became a serial entrepreneur for years while working full-time as an Accountant. In Vegas, I tried wedding planning, building a nightclub website with other partners. I even started My Puppy Party, a dog home party business (like Tupperware parties but with dog stuff).

When I moved back home to take care of my grandma in 2008, I took a moment to re-evaluate my life. It was a whirlwind of a year! And in the end, I found myself back in my safety net as an Accountant while trying to start another business. I started a mobile Acai bowl business (when acai first came to the islands), a speed dating business called HIspeedating. I even launched a drop-shipping kid's clothing line called New Little. Still, nothing fulfilled me, and I realized I was following trends instead of my heart.

After my kid's clothing line flopped, it was hard to pick up my entrepreneurial spirit. I had to do more self-reflection and dig deep into the direction God wanted me to go. It took lots of humility, courage, and faith to push through my self-doubt and pride. But I decided that I would keep trying to figure it out until I figured it out.  

Interior design was always my passion, but I didn't have the time or resources to pursue school. So that's how I got into home staging.

In January 2019, my cousin asked me to stage a home for her, then realtor friends and then returning realtors. The business started to build momentum, and then I started forming my team. 

My husband and his partner were building a Real Estate service company while I was shaping my staging company. Things started getting momentum!

That's when we realized that our companies were serving the same market. So we decided to merge our businesses and serve our market better.  

Michelle: How can staging a home support sales in real estate?

Nina: I believe people want to buy a lifestyle, not just a house. Staging helps create and tell a story—the furniture and décor create an appealing lifestyle.

Also, many homes in Hawaii are old and have funky layouts. Staging helps people visually with spatial planning and design layout. Staging also strategically helps buyers focus on the home's strengths by placing furniture to showcase a specific area, or not showcase an area. 

Michelle: What don't we see in the staging process?

Nina: All the manual labor that goes on behind the scenes. We cannot afford big teams like you see on HGTV. We do a lot of work, from moving to putting up artwork and drilling holes.  

We're limited to the furniture and décor pieces on an island so we mainly shop at box stores, like Target, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshall's or we pay a hefty price tag from the bigger furniture stores.

I find unique things on FB Marketplace, so there is a lot of running around the island. And nights were I'm hoping that a beautiful console piece or tv stand becomes available. It's really like a game. 

Michelle: Who do you lean on for support during these stages?

Nina: I have always had the desire to support women. Women that are looking for extra income like stay at home moms or other designers in the industry looking for part-time work. But most importantly, I want to support women doing something they love because then it’s more than just work. 

Each time, we stage a property we all feel so proud and fulfilled. To be able to transform a space to a home and help it sell, is the reward for us.

Behind the design, are my movers. They are the muscle to what we do and a big part of what makes us run.

Michelle: Where do you plan on taking your business in the next five years?

Nina: We would like to expand our real estate product and services to be able to support our realtors better.

This interview with Nina Arakaki gives me so much perspective on who she is - driven to support other female entrepreneurs. Personally, Nina stuck through the many pivots of Oak + Pine, believing in the direction we’re taking this platform. We have a long journey ahead, but when we get there, that celebration will be epic!

Oak + Pine is the go-to platform for early-stage entrepreneurs who are creating meaningful lives and businesses. Our monthly mentors will reprogram limiting beliefs that are keeping your pursuits small. And you’ll build your network with supportive, empowered, female entrepreneurs like Nina! Click here to get on the waitlist.