PURE PASSION

Kiaora and Malo E Lelei make up a young man named Karewa Redmond Mahe or as I know him, “Red.”  Riana and Moa Mahe were able to raise a son to dream, chase and conquer.  Red was raised in Laie, Hawaii and as his mom says, “55-449 Iosepa Street is where it all began.”  It is the place known to all for the famous Polynesian Cultural Center.  But for many locals it was Red’s garage. From a garage to his own barbershop??  Here are the details on how it happened.

Red is 26 years old and moved to Utah from Laie after marrying a beautiful Tongan, Utah native, woman named Angeles (Havili) and currently resides in Salt Lake City, UT.  He is attending Salt Lake Community College studying graphic design and just recently opened up his barber shop in September of 2011.  They now have two kids, Riana and Reign who like to keep their parents on their feet!

[photo] Mahe kids

Red’s the only boy in his family with 5 sisters.  One of them, Meagan says, “Red was always the peacemaker, the softhearted and the caring one. The humble-bigger-brother. I have always loved that about him, he's not hardhead like the rest of us or stubborn or irrits lol. He loves his siblings and his wife and kids and that’s all he's about.”

Another sister, Margie says, “Through all of my trials he has never judged me and has loved me unconditionally. Red is such a good father and husband to his family just as our dad was to us. He has and will always be the best brother anyone could ask for.”

I asked Red to share his story because I felt inspired myself at the big opening of his barbershop.  He agreed because he hopes he will “be able to help others realize that they can achieve ANYTHING they want, as long as you stay committed.”  He goes on to say, “I am where I am today because of those who have shared their knowledge with me, and I hope by sharing my story that I can return the favor.”

Riana shares that her son is where he is because of “His love for family and friends.”

She shares some examples, “Red would be kicking back with his USOULJAH friends in the garage most times cutting hair, but no matter how busy he was he would always take his little sister Randell for rides on a moped that we use to have. Randell remembers and talks often of her fun moped rides with her brother.”

[photo] USOULJAHs

Another example of his love for friends; “A tradition in Kahuku is decorating lockers for homecoming, and when that time came around, Red would ask, ‘Mom, can you please decorate Sam’s locker (his best friend) and put all the stuff you got for me in his locker?’ Sam’s mom passes away when he was 12 years old.”

On His Mark
“I started cutting hair back in Hawaii when I was 12 years old.  I didn’t realize I wanted to do barbering as a profession until 10 years later while working at my first job here in Utah.  I was working at a call center and spent most of my time in the bathroom and the janitor’s room cutting hair instead of actually on the phone.  I wasn’t making that much money on either end so I decided I might as well go to school to obtain a license and get paid for it.  I ended up leaving that job and went to school full-time and received my license a year later (2009).”

Angeles tells us, “I envy Red's passion. His passion (and our family) is the drive to all his successes. When Red finds something that he loves, he finds out everything about the subject. He studies it. He finds other professionals and asks them questions. He does it, not only because he loves it, but also because he strives to be the best he can at it.”

Triumph
Everyone knows that great things come after great trials.  

He says “the hardest part of it all would have to be going to school.  In order to get your barber’s license, the barber program requires that you acquire 1000 hours.  At that time, I was working at a warehouse job from 8 am to 4:30 pm, and then I’d go straight to school from 5 – 10 pm, Monday through Thursday.  My wife was finishing up her last semester at the U of U and we were expecting our first child (Riana).  Knowing that my wife was with child, made the 14 hour days seem a lot longer.  School lasted 14 months.”

[photo] Red and Angeles Mahe

Angeles adds that “It was hard….. I wouldn't see him until about 10 o'clock on the weekdays. Being apart from Red for long hours in a day was extremely difficult. I missed his companionship and yearned even more for the company of my unborn daughter to fill Red's absence. Red kept reminding me that things will get better. I thought it would never end.”

She then added, “Staying positive was the key to overcoming our hard times. I truly believe that if we are doing what is right and what Heavenly Father would want us to do, he will help us overcome anything.  And eventually like Red said, things did get better.”

Moa says, “I knew this was always reachable for Red because of his passionate and his love for it.”

[photo] Barber Life

His mom Riana adds that his success came as “He practiced and practiced on friends, family, and many other guys who wanted their hair cut. He even cut his own sisters hair. I am so proud of Red…I truly believe his success will continue to grow from sharing his talents and gaining more because of his love for people and giving his heart in the process.”

So we see that the simple and well overstated fact is true: practice does make perfect.

Looking back, was it worth it?  He says, 

“It’s worth it for me because I’m able to support the needs of my family by doing something that I enjoy doing.  It helps me realize that anything is possible in life as long as we stick to it.  Never in a million years did I think I would be a barber, even after years of cutting hair in my little garage back in Hawaii.  Finding my talent and passion early in life made it much sweeter.”

In the shop Moa shares that “Red posted the pieces of artwork in his barber shop on his Face book page and wrote the names of the artists. He posted one of my favorite pieces, which is the Bob Marley picture he drew. However, he did not put his name as the artist.  I asked him why he did not put his name, he said ‘because that’s showing off.’ Lol.  And he was serious. Red's intentions are genuine.”

A Strong Foundation
Red shares that, “There are so many people who have supported me through this journey.  My biggest support would have to be my family, my wife and two children.  All of this is for them.  As a father and husband, I’m able to give them the best lifestyle I can.  My family in Hawaii has always supported me in everything I do.  My parents have always been there to counsel and support me when times were tough.  I was fortunate enough to have my family fly down from Hawaii to attend the grand opening of Redmond’s Barbershop.  They helped out with the food, the entertainment, and everything else.  Having them attend the shop’s grand opening meant everything to me and my family.

[photo] Grand Opening

Last but not least, our community has shown tremendous support, as far as family, friends, clients, and even our neighbor friends who come in, even if it’s just to say hi.
In the Barber life, it’s a family oriented lifestyle.  One meets new people every day and the barber shop is one of few places where people from different backgrounds, occupations, races can actually sit and talk.  No person is better or less than the other at the barber shop.”

INSPIRED?
Riana opens up her heart to share, "I am feeling quite emotional as I think about Red and the example he has been to his 5 sisters and I. My husband worked hard for our family and was hardly home. I often felt like a single mom. Red would naturally take the lead many times when his father was not home. He was our patriarch when his father was unable to be. He was a very obedient son and we were very blessed because of his service to others. He sincerely loved people and always put other people’s happiness before his own.”

Meagan expresses, “I'm very proud of Red for all his accomplishments. He's come so far and has done almost all of it all on his own. He's shown me that if you love what you do then stick to it and anything is possible. He manages to uphold his new career as well as take care of his family and that to me is a true brother/father/son. I’m proud to see that he has been so determined and did not give up on fulfilling his dream.”

As well Margie shares, “Red's success is well earned. After years of cutting in the garage for free, going to school and work early in the morning and coming back home to his family late at night, he has definitely worked hard for what he has accomplished thus far.”

A Piece of Redmond’s Mind

“Life is too short to think about what we wish we could do in life. Be serious about your dreams. Find the right people that can help you, and push yourself. Stay committed and live for the obstacles and successes that will come along the way. Be passionate about what you do, and you'll never work a day in your life. ‘If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Either way, you're right.’"

There are too many times where we just sit back and think of all the things we would like to do and accomplish in life.  Too many times, and I’m speaking from personal experience.  Many times my dad would tell us, there are only 3 types of people in this world.

Those who watch things get done

Those who make a list to get done

And those who get things done

I’ve been able to a part of all three.  Watching was nice, but I wanted more for myself and that led me to making a list.  The list didn’t suffice for what I wanted and eventually led me to act on getting the list done.

I am not the most successful person in this world, I admit, and I have many more things on my list that have not been checked off.  But a few of things I find to be a success, even though many may find it small, is having a job, paying for my rent and car on time, going to church on Sundays, furthering my education and so forth.

Red is the example of the 3^rd person, one who gets things done.  It wasn’t easy, but it was done.  This is the reality of it; there will be speed bumps, hills, mountains or even u-turns along the way until it can actually get done.  With Red, his motivation came form his passion and his family’s future.  He made it possible because his commitment was burning with passion.

Success is a process.  I believe that success comes in many different shapes and forms because people are different.  We can only compare ourselves to ourselves.  For example, going for a run may not be a success for a college athlete, but it would be for someone who has weight problems.

With Red’s example we see that the success does not have a limit.  After opening up his barber shop, he continues to further his education in graphic designing to accomplish more on his list! 

Pure passion, like Red’s, is the key to our commitment in chasing after dreams.