This past Wednesday’s Hogan speaker session was a memorable one! We heard from a successful entrepreneur who found motivation and a more positive outlook in life when he broke his neck and was paralyzed at a young age. He lifted weights, participated in marathons, and continued to risk it all.
This inspirational individual was Mr. Mike Irish, Hawaii’s “kim chee king,” and CEO of Halm’s Enterprises and Diamond Head Seafood Company.
As a businessman, Mr. Irish is always driven to succeed. He has found success in real estate, the hotel industry, and in his latest pursuit of the kim chee industry. His path in entrepreneurship began with his father’s business ventures in real estate.
His presentation was focused on his personal accounts of the value of sticking to business fundamentals. Many of the local products that the people of Hawaii had grown up with were run by family owned businesses. Family members who had grown and moved on to other things approached Mr. Irish to hopefully sell their business and perpetuate their products.
The majority of his successes were founded upon the creation and maintenance of demand for his products and services, as well as the network he was able to build.
We had an amazing time with Mr. Irish. He provided us with an enlightening look into how business is done well in Hawaii. His motto is “the harder you work, the luckier you get!”
Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Clarke Velasco
Speaker Session with Mike Irish 2/14/18