Every quarter, we celebrate one or more team members that went above and beyond for their team, the company, or the community at large. Many people get nominated, but only a few get to win the coveted HHG Ho‘okipa Award. The Q4 2023 award goes to… Michelle Wee and Nicole Morisugi! Read all about it in the article below.
At Hawaiian Host Group, the Ho‘okipa recognition program was created as a platform to celebrate the “Host” in all of us. “Ho‘okipa” translates to hospitality – the giving of oneself to provide a warm and welcoming experience. Exactly what a good host does. Going above and beyond to exceed expectations of others.
How does it work?
Every month, multiple team members are nominated because they exceeded expectations in one way or another. The best stories are then celebrated during our companywide HHG Summits. These are stories of the team members who go the extra mile for their team, the company, and/or the community at large, while at the same time contributing with small selfless acts and genuine interactions.
At the end of every quarter, each of these team members are then automatically nominated for the Ho‘okipa Award. The winner of the award is ultimately decided by our team members, through a companywide peer vote.
Who was nominated?
As celebrated over the past few months, the Q4 2023 Ho‘okipa Award nominees were Drew Reyando (Field Sales Manager), Lance Nakamura (Sales Representative), and Michelle Wee & Nicole Morisugi (respectively, E-Commerce Manager & Specialist).
Who won the award?
We are excited to share that Michelle & Nicole were voted as our Ho‘okipa winners of Q4 in 2023! Over the past year, Michelle and Nicole have worked closely with Stu Haack, Director of E-Commerce, to grow the department and enhance our direct-to-consumer business.
Why did they win?
In Q4, Michelle and Nicole helped achieve the biggest Black Friday and Cyber Monday E-Commerce sales moment in HHG’s history. In preparation for the holiday season, they both took on additional responsibilities that enabled us to move E-Commerce inventory from Alakawa to Green Rabbit in California – which significantly decreased the average time to fulfill orders, ultimately creating a better E-Commerce experience for our customers.
Michelle reflected, “Winning this award is made more meaningful, because it’s voted by fellow colleagues who have also exceeded excellence daily (sometimes out of the limelight) and that have brought so much to the table in making our company and Islands’ flourish. Now, I am even more inspired to consistently exceed excellence and help our team move forward.”
In large part through Michelle and Nicole’s efforts, we have continued to excel towards the E-Commerce sales plans, and still manage to balance new major projects and partners, including: Green Rabbit, our new E-Commerce agency, and the Hawaiian Host & Mauna Loa website consolidation project — all while providing support to the ERP project.
Nicole echoed similar sentiments, stating, “The Ho‘okipa award reflects the love and support for our E-Commerce team and the rising success of our channel. We could not have come this far without the other teams that have championed us along the way, and it is the utmost honor to have your vote of confidence.”
Their advice for others?
- Let grit, passion, and competence be your guide
- Commit to continuous learning by staying curious and having a teachable mindset
- Actively seek constructive criticism and use feedback as an opportunity to learn from those around you & improve your skills
- Always maintain open communication about ongoing projects with your leader and immediate team
Congratulations to Michelle & Nicole, and all of this quarter’s Ho‘okipa Award nominees. We thank everyone for their contributions, and equally as important, for celebrating their peers. We can’t wait to celebrate more Ho‘okipa Award winners throughout this year.
