Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Kimberly Kriegh of Maui Hawaii

We recently had the chance to connect with Kimberly Kriegh and have shared our conversation below.

Kimberly, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
It’s funny, when you work for yourself there is no fifteen minute break, lunch hour or clocking out, you have to really make time for yourself because you could literally work all day and all night long. I do find joy in projects completed, but let’s be honest, that’s not, “time for yourself”. Living in Maui there’s joy right outside your doorstep. I make time everyday to get outside. Catching the sunset with my family, laughing on walks and hikes, and fishing with my husband while chasing pods of dolphins, and when they are present, watching the whales! Our children are home with us, so in that aspect we are very lucky, working with them on projects and spending quality time with them brings me so much happiness, we are a true team.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kimberly Kriegh, and I’m an entrepreneur, foodie, and longtime Maui resident deeply committed to building community through business. I own Pauwela Store, a neighborhood grocery store in Haʻikū, and I’m currently expanding with Maui Country Supply Co., a new lifestyle hardware, feed, and farm supply store rooted in Upcountry values.

My work blends practicality with creativity: sourcing local products, supporting small businesses, and creating spaces where people feel connected. I believe entrepreneurship isn’t just about running a business; it’s about shaping the culture of where you live, preserving local identity, and finding ways to serve people better.

Beyond retail, I’m passionate about design, branding, and storytelling. Every product on our shelves, every detail in our stores, is chosen with the idea that business can be both functional and inspiring.

At the heart of it all is family and community. I want to build something that reflects Maui’s resilience, resourcefulness, and beauty—and that will last for the next generation.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
For most of my childhood and even into adulthood, being adopted carried this weight for me. I felt a constant longing, as if there was a missing piece of who I was, hidden somewhere in the biological family I had never known. That search became almost a defining part of me—the hope that once I found them, I’d finally feel complete.

When I eventually did find some of my biological family, the reality was far different from what I imagined. Many of them were struggling, caught up in chaos, dysfunction, and choices that didn’t reflect the life I wanted for myself. It was painful, but also freeing. I realized then that I wasn’t missing anything at all. My real family had been with me the entire time; the people who raised me, loved me, and created a home where I could thrive.

So what I’ve let go of is that old ache, that needed to prove or discover something outside of myself. The longing served its purpose; it pushed me to explore and grow. But I don’t carry it anymore. Today, I stand complete, grateful, and grounded in the family and the life I’ve always had. I did manage to score some super cool biological nephews that I love dearly, adding them into our ohana has been a real blessing.

That realization also shapes how I approach my businesses. I know the importance of belonging, of building something steady and real. With Pauwela Store and now Maui Country Supply Co., I want to create places where people feel at home, where community is strengthened, and where there’s no sense of missing pieces, only connection.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me resilience in a way success never could. I came from very simple beginnings, and I had to work from a very young age to build the life I have now. There were times I couldn’t pay rent, when even Christmas gifts were out of reach. Those seasons of lack carved into me a toughness, a determination, and a deep appreciation for every bit of progress I’ve earned.

Success is wonderful, but it can make things look easy from the outside. Suffering doesn’t let you forget the value of hard work, the weight of persistence, and the humility that comes from starting with nothing. It taught me how to stand back up, how to keep going, and how to create stability not just for myself, but for my family and community.

Everything I have now, every step of thriving, feels sweeter because I know exactly what it took to get here.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Anyone that truly knows me would say what really matters to me is having a spotless house, an awesome trip on the calendar, a perfectly spiced meal, and a business idea that actually works. I’m a mother through and through and my children and husband mean the world to me. They brag about my cooking because if you’ve eaten at my table, you know I’ll out-season your grandma. And they joke about my entrepreneurship because I’ll dive into a risky idea with the same confidence most people reserve for ordering takeout.

Basically, they’d tell you I’m the friend who shows up for them and my family always, with a curry in one hand, an awesome travel quest in the other, and a new LLC filing in my back pocket, and no matter where I’m going, my family is coming with me!

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Definitely not what I was told to do. I was told to land a safe corporate job, collect my paycheck, and blend in like everyone else. That path never fit me. I was born to build, to take risks, and to create something of my own. Entrepreneurship isn’t the easy road, but it’s the one that makes me feel alive.

So no, I didn’t follow the script. I wrote my own, and I like my version better.

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