Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Mahealani Douglas.
Hi Dawn Mahealani, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Looking back on my life, I would say that I have been on this path as an entertainer since I was old enough to walk. The seeds were planted and cultivated along the way. At three years old, I was enrolled in my first dance classes of ballet and tap, though the teacher thought that genre was a little too structured for my free spirit. By five years old, I was winning beauty pageants with the extra touches I was giving the audience in waves and winks. I saw my first Polynesian show while on vacation in Florida at the age of seven, and I started saying that I wanted to be a hula dancer when I grew up, not a very likely option growing up in Kentucky. Fast forward through high school and college filled with more dance and cheer and paid modeling and acting work, and I set out on the marketing path in corporate America as a career, settling in Georgia. When I became disillusioned by the slow movement up the ladder and working for others while leaving my creativity behind, I went back to school to get a graduate degree in psychology for a life change and began teaching college classes. Circumstances beyond my control pushed me from full-time work to part-time work, which thankfully, encouraged me to get back to my love of performing part-time as well–dancing, modeling, and acting.
When life circumstances intervened again in an injury that prevented me from continuing the ballroom dancing I had been focusing on, I faced depression at the thought of losing my passion that was dance. A trip to Hawaii and meeting with a kumu hula began my hula and Polynesian dancing career, and I have never looked back. Once I had some knowledge under my belt and I started offering my performances for special events, I was able to leave all other work behind and run my new business full-time, adding new performers to the cast each year. Mahealani’s Polynesian Entertainment was born with the Hawaiian name I was given and has become more successful with each passing year. It’s easy to see how each milestone or shift in my life led to this point and feeling that I am exactly where I am meant to be and doing what I was always meant to do. At this point in my journey, I am spending more time exploring my own Polynesian ancestry, which is traced back to the Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand. I give all praise to God for placing the qualities in me that I needed and directing my steps.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Fortunately, it has been a relatively smooth road from the start of my business until now. Everything seems to have fallen into place naturally. I have the normal ups and downs of being a business owner like making decisions about the direction of the business, how to deal with difficult clients, and keeping fully staffed when life intervenes. One thing I’ve found that helps me is making decisions quickly instead of putting it off until tomorrow, so we are constantly moving forward and improving the way we do things.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I own an award-winning entertainment company based in Atlanta sharing the culture of the Pacific Islands of Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa through song and dance. My company is one of very few in the Southeast region that offers an authentic Polynesian luau experience, and we are known for giving performances that are on par with shows like I have performed for on the island of Oahu. I’m proud of being named Best Entertainer Atlanta 2020 and 2019 and Best Wedding Company Southeast USA 2020 among other genres of entertainment. Because we offer an experience that is both entertaining and educational, we are booked to perform for a variety of clients and special events–over 300 a year ranging from small, private birthdays and weddings to large, corporate and city events.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is experiencing joy each day and making a positive impact on others. I am blessed that my passion for the arts turned into a full-time career. It allows me to do what I love every day, experience joy and spread that joy to others. I have always believed that entertainers provide a vital service to society just like doctors, teachers, and others. By sharing our passion and joy, we help others to forget the stresses of everyday life and escape for a moment into another world, another culture, another time. What is better than that?
Contact Info:
- Website: dawnmahealani.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dawndouglas1
- Facebook: facebook.com/dawndouglastalent
- Twitter: twitter.com/dawndouglas10
- Youtube: youtube.com/dawndouglas
