Meet Kathleen Hurtubise

We recently connected with Kathleen Hurtubise and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathleen, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I think I get my resilience first by growing up in a large family—7 sisters and 1 brother—where my father was a mechanic, and my mom had odds and ends jobs while she raised 9 children. We were in survival mode most of the time, and yet we had a lot of joy along the way. I remember when things were really bad, the electricity was turned off, and my mom strung a laundry line through the dining room to dry the clothes. We just dealt with whatever was dished up to us.

As an entrepreneur, there is a similar uncertainty, and it requires me to be flexible, creative, and resilient. And, just like in my childhood, I learn to find joy along the way and enjoy the ride.

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

My business is fueled by a passion for bringing out the best in people—helping them discover their talents and step into their full potential by being of service to others. I believe in approaching life with curiosity, wonder, and spontaneity, living each day like an improvisation. It’s about seeing, moving, and being fully present in each moment.

In staffing, particularly in hospitality, everything is reactionary. A company may need staff immediately, and we activate people to jump in and serve—whether it’s for a day at an event or on a long-term basis through our temporary work placements in hotels, restaurants, and senior living homes.

I’ve always been a “glass half full” person. Back in high school, I became Senior Class President to inspire my classmates to celebrate life more fully. I even wanted our school newspaper to focus on uplifting stories, not the tragedies and disappointments. I’m a realist, not a Pollyanna, but I find the world amazing—especially when I remember that the odds of any of us being born are about 1 in 400 trillion. That’s spectacular, and it drives my passion for working with people on both ends of the business equation.

As a staffing agency, we have the power to change the trajectory of one of the most important aspects of people’s lives: their work. Work brings opportunities for financial stability, social connections, respect, and honor. We also help people transition out of challenging situations through workforce development programs, placing them in roles where they can rebuild their lives and grow by doing exceptional work in hospitality and light industrial sectors.

As we expand across Hawaii, our sights are set on marketing in the continental U.S. Why? Because we are passionate about connecting exceptional people—those eager to share their unique gifts—with exceptional companies.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Direct Experience Curiosity: Knowledge happens by embracing direct experience over theoretical understanding. There’s a clear difference between reading about life and living it. When I prioritize experience, curiosity becomes my compass, guiding me to truth. It shapes my experience of joy and discomfort, fear and love, not as opposites, but as aspects of growth. Direct experience teaches me to truly know by living.

Follow the Gut: Decision-making often benefits from both logic and intuition, but the gut knows what the mind may not grasp. It operates from a quiet, grounded place beyond excitable emotions. When I’ve tuned in, it’s regularly steered me right. Honoring gut instincts doesn’t replace analysis – it finetunes the decision-making process, allowing for outcomes that are aligned with my life path.

Forgive and Forget: Forgiveness isn’t just an act of grace; it’s a leadership tool. It draws forth empathy, trust, and a culture where mistakes become learning opportunities. In business, it’s vital to forgive others and myself and allowing accountability and resilience to direct me.

Advice for those early in their journey: Jump in. Experience more, think less. Let the world reveal itself to you, not through the pages of a book or the lens of fear, but through lived moments that give you experiences and knowledge. Your gut can and will guide you. Allow.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest area of growth has been working with my Hawaii team to become fully self-managing. This involved mentoring them to make sound business decisions rooted in integrity and honesty. Each team member participated in experiential leadership training, where they learned the power of their words, the value of collaboration and synergy (1+1=3), and how to use the mind’s creative potential. With this empowered, self-managing team, AlohaHP is now ready to expand into continental U.S. markets, led by key people from our Hawaii office.

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