Meet Sharlani Pu’u-zanders

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sharlani Pu’u-zanders. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sharlani below.

Hi Sharlani, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I credit my work ethic partly to my dad and being in the U.S. Army. Growing up in Hawaii, my dad always had two other jobs along with his main job. He was always up early and headed to work. Sometimes he would be gone for weeks on jobs that would take him to one of the other islands or Guam. When I joined the military, I learned the habit of keeping busy. There is always something to do and something that needs to be worked on, or someone you can help. So, I always keep myself busy.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Currently, I am the sole proprietor of Zhen Aloha, a company that amplifies the voices of Indigenous Polynesians, such as myself, through media, art, publishing, and marketing. I am also the Director of Operations/Marketing for Outside Studios out of L.A.

I began getting clients as a Life Coach shortly after I had my son in 2015 and exited my military career as a Chaplain Assistant in 2017. I soon found that most of my clients desired to pursue creative professions, such as drawing, animation, acting, singing, dancing, and so on. They desired to know how to be more intuitive in their decisions to pursue a life of purpose and passion. All of that aligned with my reason for becoming a Life Coach. I was actively pursuing a life of purpose and passion.

I went back to school and went to Mercer University for a semester, then transferred to Liberty University online, so I could have a flexible schedule to meet the demands of the life of a mother and wife who was also trying to build her own business. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies focused on Mass Communication, Fine Art, and a Minor in Creative Writing.

I published my first children’s book, which was inspired by my own family, as well as completed five more manuscripts that will soon be published. I am an avid reader, drawer, and cook. My passion has always been to tell stories. When I was a child growing up in Hawaii, I learned to tell stories through Hula, a native Hawaiian form of dance. I also began to write short stories and poems for my amusement. I grew up with a love of music, all genres of music. My dad and grandfather both played the guitar, and it was common to spend an evening sitting outside in the garage listening to them play while we kids danced to the music.

I have lived a full life that my close family and friends say could be a Lifetime movie, ha, ha. I joined the Army right out of high school and immaturely got married. I separated from the military, got divorced, and went to culinary school. I began working in restaurants and as a personal chef and caterer traveling all around Georgia. I soon found myself going back into the military. I gave birth to my daughter a few years later, left her father under undesirable circumstances, and soon met the love of my life who was also in the Army. We later had our son and together we have a beautiful blended family of four girls and one boy. I share all of this because people in general, all have unique stories to tell that have gotten us to where we are today. Many of these stories need to be shared in some type of art form because there is someone out there who can relate to them and may help them on their life journey.

I believe that is my life mission. To not just tell my story but help others tell theirs, because whether some people like it or not, especially in this political social climate that we live in now, we all have something in common, we are all human. We all have feelings and we all go through things. One person’s trial doesn’t outweigh another. We are all worthy and deserve to be treated as such.

Currently, I am working on launching the next two books in my children’s book series that began with the first book I published titled, Roman Needs a Bath. The first book and the next two books are rebranded with new book covers and formatting. I’m extremely excited for everyone to see them. I have a young adult Hawaiian paranormal fantasy fiction series that I have been working on for the past five years that’s getting ready to be published. They are based on the Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses’ myths and legends and the history of my people set in modern times. The original Roman Needs a Bath can still be purchased on Amazon for a limited time, and people who contact me directly can purchase signed copies straight from me. It also won also won a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite.

My drawing and writing are something I work on daily, and I’m extremely thrilled to be working on these launches coming up.

I currently have two podcasts in pre-production. The first one is to be a platform to inform and amplify the voices of my Native Hawaiian brothers and sisters. My mission is to educate, tell stories, and share the beauty of my culture and people. The second is a collaboration with my husband.

I am also an actor. I had the honor of being in two NAACP award-winning plays this year by Outside Studios. Colorblind and Secrets were both in Macon, GA at the historical Douglass Theatre. Both productions had a run of three shows each. The thrill and excitement of being on that legendary stage where the iconic greats of music performed was exhilarating and unforgettable. Performing on stage is something I greatly enjoy. It is heightened even more when you get to work alongside actors who are passionate about what they do and love it. I have been having so much fun this year and intend on going into the next year with even greater momentum.

In case you are wondering, I still take clients for Life Coaching. It is something I enjoy and as of right now do not intend to stop.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I believe my greatest qualities are being open-minded when it comes to venturing into the unknown, discerning others and my surroundings, and listening without interrupting. These are all skills that we continue to develop throughout life. I don’t believe we ever arrive because there is always room for improvement.

I never thought that I would be starting an acting career in my 40s let alone, writing books and creating children’s characters and creating content. Being open-minded and optimistic was the key and continues to be as I move forward. I used to have a fear of disappointment, especially in my 20s, whether it was disappointing God, myself, or those who matter to me. We all go through it, it’s just a part of life. Letting that go has given me the courage to step out on things with a knowing within me that no matter what, all is going to be ok. I had to learn to be quiet, and just sit in silence and breathe. For me, this is important because we live in a technology age where no matter where you turn there is information coming at you from all angles. It is important to just turn it all off and listen to the spirit of God within us.

It doesn’t matter what religion or culture you come from, God is within us all, whether we profess Jesus, Buddha, or whomever, and we can agree to disagree. As a Chaplain Assistant in the U.S. Army, I served with people from just about every religion around the world. One thing I do know for a fact, the love of God is within each person of every religion and culture I have met. I have experienced it firsthand and it’s extremely humbling when you come from a religion that teaches its way is the only way. We all have this all-encompassing love within us. It is just up to us to tune into it within us and allow it to be the driving force that guides us in life. I learned that fear has no place there because when love is present, fear doesn’t exist. Allowing this love to lead me has been the best way for me to move forward in the most difficult situations in life and it never fails.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes, I am looking for those who have a positive message and mission and who are interested in collaborating on future podcasts, productions, films, stage plays, books, art collections, you name it! I am open to creative sessions with other creatives whether it’s their platform or my own, especially creators from under-represented and often misrepresented backgrounds, Indigenous cultures, Polynesians, and women. I desire to collaborate with artists/illustrators, authors, actors, producers, musicians, and those in the creative space who know we all have space here to make a positive impact. It’s not a competition. We each bring uniqueness to what we do, and it’s beautiful.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Rickey Zanders – photo image of Sharlani in red and photo in military uniform

Amanda Niqole – Theatre posters

13WMAZ – news interview still

Sharlani Pu’u-Zanders – Sharlani w/mic, Facebook Live still photo with Roman Zanders, book cover photos

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