Samoalive's personality this week has come with the suggestion of Samoalive's friend, Barry Markowtiz when he spotted an article in a recent publication of the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Samoalive has picked Fa'a Tialino as a personality because his achievements make him an excellent role model for Samoans in the entertainment business. Faa Tialino is proving that the sky is the limit if one sets goals and not to be intimidated by the demands of modern business.
Fa'a Tialino >> After a long day of meeting sales goals, I relax by kicking off my shoes and stepping into the spotlight with a sharp, flaming fire knife.
As fire knife dancer at Hyatt Regency Maui's luau, "Drums of the Pacific Polynesian Spectacular," I perform in more than 300 shows a year.
During the day, I trade my fire knives for an aloha shirt and head for Hyatt Regency Maui's sales department. As sales manager, I am responsible for working with over 65 national sales managers, covering Hyatt's top national accounts, to increase direct bookings at Hyatt Regency Maui.
I like sales because it is challenging. There are always goals to meet, and I am responsible for my own performance. But fire knife dancing, I do that for relaxation.
I began performing in "Drums of the Pacific" in 1988. In 1994, I joined the resort's sales department to promote the luau, helping to expand it from four nights a week to a nightly event. The resort entertains a sell-out crowd of nearly 550 people.
After achieving success in marketing the luau, I wanted new challenges. The resort promoted me to a new position handling the meeting connections market, then in 1999 the resort changed my focus to book direct, working with Hyatt's national sales force.
I was born in Western Samoa and moved to Hawaii in 1972 when I was 15. I first learned Polynesian dancing from a friend who performed at the Sea Life Park luau.