Welcome to the Above the Sides podcast! Join us on our journey to uncover what it means to think, act, and live aloha. The inspiration for this podcast is the late Pono Shim, former President and CEO of the Oʻahu Economic Development Board. His stories capture the essence of what it means to live aloha. He made it known that aloha is a lifestyle. It is not a solution to problems, a marketing brand or to be used as an advantage over anyone else. Aloha is to be honored and practiced.
The name of this podcast is in reverence of Hawaiʻi's Queen Liliʻuokalani, who wrote: "To gain the kingdom of heaven is to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen, and to know the unknowable – that is Aloha. All things in this world are two; in heaven there is but One.” Through these episodes, we seek to find that singular perspective, the one that is "above the sides" as we strive for universal peace.
We welcome you to pause with us as we share the stories and voices of Hawai’i business leaders, educators and community members who have chosen to be lifelong students of aloha. Mahalo nui loa for listening.
Publisher
Pono Shim, Molly Mamaril
Category
business · religion & spirituality · society & culture
Aloha: The Spiritual Canoe — IVAT Summit Closing Plenary with Pono Shim (2022)
In this special long-form episode of Above the Sides, we share the final public talk given by Pono Shim, recorded at the 2022 IVAT Hawaii International Summit shortly before his passing. Camille Rocket opens by reflecting on Pono’s profound impact as a teacher, mentor, and friend before Pono shares stories of his life and his lifelong journey of aloha. As 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Hokulea’s first modern voyage to Tahiti, Pono reveals the story of two parallel voyages that began in 1976: the physical voyage of Hokulea and his own spiritual voyage aboard what he came to understand as the canoe of aloha. Through stories of Auntie Pilahi Paki, Mau Piailug, Nainoa Thompson, and his many teachers, Pono uncovers connection and resilience, offering an invitation to carry aloha forward. Mahalo for listening.
Episode Highlights
00:00 IVAT Summit Introduction
01:41 Camille Rockett honors Pono Shim
03:59 Aloha as Healing
06:37 Pono Takes the Stage
12:37 Earth Day and DoFest
16:55 Naming Navigators and Peaceseekers
19:15 Muir Woods Silence
22:49 The Scarred Redwood
25:31 Mentoring Mary
29:48 Ahonui in Crisis
34:45 Stories That Calm
37:16 Trauma to Joy
39:56 Connection > Correction
40:04 Mau Piailug and Wayfinding Revival
41:39 Hokulea
44:08 Supply Chain of Aloha
47:39 Aunty Pilahi Paki
49:15 Prophecy: Aloha as the Key
52:41 Learning to "Think Hawaiian"
54:45 Five Elements of Aloha
56:02 Practice and Permission
57:49 The Razor's Edge
01:05:55 Carrying Aloha Forward
Watch on Youtube: Pono Shim at IVAT's 19th Hawai'i International Summit Closing Plenary at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6afO5B2N0
13 Aug 2026
Aloha is the Key: Remembering the Wisdom of Pilahi Paki with Pono Shim [2020]
In this archival episode of Above the Sides, Pono Shim shares the teachings of Pilahi Paki, a revered Hawaiian elder, through readings from her book, Legends of Hawaii: Oahu's Yesterday. Recorded in June 2020, this conversation explores aloha, Oʻahu's spiritual identity, and Hawaiʻi's kuleana in a world searching for peace. Through Pilahi's words, Pono invites us to remember and perpetuate the wisdom of our kūpuna. Mahalo for listening.
9 Jul 2026
Pono Shim on Leadership through Struggle [2020]
In this episode, drawn from recordings in May and June 2020, Uncle Pono Shim reflects on the launch of the Aloha Response cohorts. He describes the early pilot as a leadership development space without credentials, certificates, or external markers of achievement, only a commitment to practice, reflection, and shared experience over time. From those first cohorts, he shares how leadership emerged through struggle, and how aloha is something that must be actively practiced rather than assumed. Mahalo for listening.
Who has been a guest on Above the Sides
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David Fuertes
Hye Jung Kim Tano
Miki Tomita Okamoto
Karl Veto Baker
Robin Campaniano
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
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