In an effort to find out how Hawaii's business leaders achieve success, Pacific Business News is asking local professionals to share just one tip or one "secret" that's helped them the most in their career.
Chris and Rachel Ah Sue, the husband-and-wife co-owners of Malama Solar, said: "One of the keys to our success is that we have complementary skillsets. As such, we've each written our own "secret."
Chris: We are successful because we’re willing to trip and fall 10,000 times and we will get back up every single time. Reaching your goals is going to take longer than you think, it’s going to be harder than you think, and it will require more effort, more energy, more dedication, and on and on. Business is hard, but so is life. Do not give up. Do not quit. The secret to success is no secret at all: Put in the work again and again and refuse to give up.
Rachel: You have to systematize your entire business operation. If you don’t develop a process for how your business does things, then your business will always be in chaos, and it will always rely on your own genius – or madness. Once you’ve created a process, continue to recognize the issues you encounter, and then constantly improve to account for those things. Learn from your setbacks, and become maniacal about understanding the root of your problems. There has to be a process.
Malama Solar ranked No. 1 in PBN's Hawaii's Fastest Growing Private Companies List for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022 for its revenue growth since 2018. From 2019-2021, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Malama Solar grew its revenue by 686.39% from $1.57 million to $12.35 million, according to PBN research. Earlier this year, PBN also named it a Hawaii Startup to Watch.
The locally owned company focuses on renewable energy and solar options for residential projects.
The Ah Sues founded the family business out of their home in 2017. Chris, who previously worked at another solar company, and Rachel, who taught public speaking to undergraduates at the University of Hawaii, played to their strengths early on, deciding that Chris would handle sales, and Rachel would tackle operations.
“Her strengths are my weaknesses, and … she doesn’t have any weaknesses,” Chris told PBN in 2021.
In September, the couple said, "We’ve almost doubled our number of employees compared to last year, expanded to the Big Island, and added a marketing department. But as for why we have grown, it’s because of a complete dedication to making sure the customer experience is A+."
"... We started out small, tested the model, improved upon things, and have continued to do that ever since. We have expanded out to Hawaii Island and will be on Maui next year. It’s becoming a snowball that you can’t slow down, and it just keeps growing."
This is part of a new web series called Secrets to Success. Know someone we should talk to? Email Reporter Sophia Compton at scompton@bizjournals.com and/or Associate Editor Kelsey Kukaua at kkukaua@bizjournals.com.
