Above the bridge
Entertainment and conversation
Above the bridge
Episode 188 WES NAKANO ( owner: From Above Entertainment )
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The moment Wes said he’s putting down the mic, I felt it in my gut because I’ve known him as the voice that can move a room. We sit down and get real about why stepping back from MC duties can be the exact move a growing business needs, especially when you’re trying to protect your name, your family, and the standard your clients pay for.
We talk about the path that got him here, from working a regular job while his emceeing slowed down to building From Above Entertainment into one of the most trusted names in Hawaii wedding entertainment. Wes shares how his wife Julie pushed the original vision, how a one-year “let’s try it” turned into ten years, and what actually separates a wedding DJ and MC team when the pressure is high and the timeline is tight. We also dig into growth challenges after COVID, staying current with wedding trends, and finding people who are willing to put in real work instead of chasing instant gratification.
Then we get into the gear and the future: LED video walls, LED DJ booths, and how his new leg, From Above Displays, handles commercial and residential LED screen installs from planning and site visits to full setup and support. If you’re into entrepreneurship, event production, leadership, and building a service business with aloha, there’s a lot here to steal for your own life.
Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with a friend who’s building something, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one goal you’re chasing right now that scares you a little?
Welcome And Laid-Back Recap
SPEAKER_00Okay, welcome again to another edition of the Above the Bridge Podcast. I'm your host, Thaddeus Park. Thank you for joining us. If this is your first time, whatever podcast platform you're listening to, please like, subscribe, tell a friend. Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel. And I thank you very much for tuning in and being a part of our show. Aloha. Alright. This week I'm really excited to have this guest back on my show. It's somebody I've known pretty much my whole industry life, which is spanning over two decades. I'm not trying to say her age, but he's been there for me through thick and thin um ups and downs of Artist Groove Network. He's been the voice for most of our events throughout the years. And bruh, he's my friend. And this guy has been meant a lot to me. I know him as Wild Wild West, and I'll forever know him as that. But West from above entertainment. What's up, dude? From above entertainment. My bad.
SPEAKER_01What's no no no, it's good, my guy. I like how you put it 20 two decades. It sounds a lot more better and younger. Two decades? Two decades. Yeah, it sounds better.
SPEAKER_00Spanning, spanning over two decades. Because probably two and a half, two, two decades at plus, you know. Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01I like the plus action. The plus action.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01What's up, Mr. Above the Podcast, sir? How are you?
SPEAKER_00I'm great, bruh. First off, I wanna commend you and your team. And everything you guys did, I was blown away with how you guys handled our laid-back production with your freaking LED screen. Like, I don't know. Like, I watched you put that thing together piece by piece with precision, and that thing just took our event, like it took it to the next level. And then you brought out the LED DJ booth, which I wasn't even expecting. So I don't know. Props to you and your staff. You had an awesome staff, and bruh, you you guys, I mean, full of aloha as what I expected, but bruh, you guys killed it.
SPEAKER_01It's everybody that helped at your event, but thank you, guys, to you and and hopple boy, aka Taylor. Well, can I use his government name or yeah, everybody knows him as Bokay? Um, yeah, Taylor and Hoppow, thank you for throwing a party that us people in our 30s plus needed. Us people that grew up with this kind of music. The like, I was just happy to be a part of something this amazing because to hear that kind of music again. Oh, it just took me back in the days. And the greatest thing about your event, everybody came there for two things to have a good time and just relive good memories and just enjoy it, and that's what it was supposed to be. Like, I wish every day now the clubs are like that. It's not like this party did that completely, totally, and it felt good. So, what's the next one?
SPEAKER_00Um, honestly, we just got some good news while I was driving home in that traffic. So we're gonna figure it out and we're gonna release it soon. You're gonna get a call as soon as we I put in the proposal and they sign it, then your phone will ring. But um, yeah, we're gonna we're gonna shift and we're we got hopefully we got two big announcements coming, and brow. It um like you said, is it this project has been one of my favorite things I've ever done, and it's the nostalgia factor, the the music, and the people that we connect with for me in the industry that come and support it, they understand the the vision that um was created and and pretty much it was hop hoppa's idea and and he he just fucking knocking it out the park, and I'm just kind of pushing this this project together, and uh I think um watching everybody be like how it was before, like if you looked at the crowd, nobody was on their phone, everybody was singing, everybody, yeah, and bruh, that's how the clubs were back then.
SPEAKER_01It was, and it was just I missed that, you know. I mean, I do too. Um, let me tell you, first off, that was my first time trying whiskey smoke. Oh my god, I ate so much from like I spent a lot of money with them because I was hungry.
SPEAKER_00Brad, it is action, bro. They're brisket and they're the people, those guys are yeah, they just match match the uh laid back vibe. All our vendors and um between you guys, Hansen, Whiskey Smoke, Mikey, and his staff at the bar, like it just everybody bought into the culture, and is bruh, it's just a big day of aloha and nostalgia, and and bruh, it's it's a fun thing, man.
SPEAKER_01It is, it was just a vibe. Like, that's if anybody were to ask, oh, how was laid back? I kept saying it was just a vibe, you had to be there, like you cannot explain this. Like, no, no matter the videos that Valentin put out, no matter the videos that everybody posted, tagged you guys, you guys reposted, that didn't do it just it just to be there and feel that vibe. The best part was I don't know if you remember this because I know you were drinking, having fun, relaxing, but when you were dancing with your daughter, I saw that from the second floor, I was like, there it is, there it is.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that was different, and for me, that's full circle, but um, yeah, uh, you guys, like I said, you guys have more equipment and capabilities to your company that I even grasped. And watching you put that freaking LED well, it wasn't even a screen, it was a wall, and like it was piece by piece with precision, it was on trust and like you didn't look stressed, you're talking and laughing, being West and putting that thing together, and when that thing lit up, and honestly, bruh, it was cool to see, and the CR logo on there, even the above the bridge logo on there. I was just like, bruh, what West hit another level that I didn't even realize because I don't go to your weddings, I don't yeah, but um shoot, I don't want to talk about laid back because that would be a whole freaking show. Yeah, I know, right?
SPEAKER_01That would be better than a whole show, yeah.
How West Entered Wedding Entertainment
SPEAKER_00But your company from above entertainment has been thriving, and I've only heard good things from people in the industry, and I have family in the industry, I work with people in the industry for weddings and stuff, and anytime your name is mentioned, it's always in a good light. And if my sister likes you, then you're doing something right. Because if she's a she's a wedding coordinator or was previous, and if she has something good to say about a vendor or anybody, I hold that with high regard because if you if she doesn't like you, she will let it be known.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, you you are like you can tell your siblings because like just like you, if Heidi doesn't like you, she'll let it know. If dad doesn't like you, you'll know real fast.
SPEAKER_00But I don't think I even asked you on the first one. If I did, I might have forgotten, but how did you even get started in the whole wedding entertainment industry? Because that's a far-fetched thing from what you were doing prior.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so prior to me actually starting um from above entertainment with my wife, it was the craziest thing. Um, at that time, I think I was working at the aquarium, and I was just I was a maintenance worker at the aquarium. I had to just find a job to work. That's what we were doing, just working jobs just to pay bills and stuff. Um, and at that time, my emceeing had slowed down a lot because I was really wasn't like into MCing, like the clubs wasn't hitting cars, the car shows I was kind of over it. Um so about 2014, my wife Julie started throwing ideas. She's like, Oh, let's start a business. And at that time, I really didn't want to move. So 2015 happened where she's like, let's start a business. I want to do this. Come on, let's do it. So I said, Okay, cool. Let's what do you what is what is in your head of yours? She's like, I want to, I I I want you to MC weddings, and I said, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, hold up, hold on, hold on, hold up. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm I'm I'm like, oh my god, she wants me to MC weddings. Like weddings are like club events. Like how I think we kind of touched on it in it in the first um title, yeah, where it's it's not a hundred people having fun, it's a hundred people, important people sitting down listening and having fun. So you're arranging grandparents, aunties, uncles, all these other kind of things. Important people, and it's like and I was scared. I did friends' weddings before, but it was just like, oh wait, so give you drinks and you can eat. I said, Cool, kind of, but now she's asked me to do it professionally, and I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. So a little more backstory on top of that. Um, we were heavily, we still are heavily into our church, but at that time, Greg Hammer, you know who Greg Hammer is, right? Yep, yeah. Well, Greg was a pastor at a church at that time, and he had a marriage group. So me and Judy started going to his marriage group because I'm like, oh, Greg understands who I am as a person and the entertainment industry. Because when you go to church, sometimes people say they understand, but they're saying that to help you out, but they don't really understand how their lifestyle is.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, or went through it or lived it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, exactly. So Greg was a pastor at that church, and we instantly connected because he actually knew my Filipino family too growing up. So he we had a bigger connection, even that. So the funny thing is at this time we're in Greg's marriage group and we're going to church. Julie keeps pushing, and she's like, Let's start a business. I want you to MC. I said, No, no, I don't want to do it, I don't want to do it, let's figure out something else. So I didn't know this until after the fact that Julie actually went behind my back and talked to Greg and asked Greg to pull me on the side or take me to lunch or do something and try and get me to go into this direction. So Greg takes me to lunch one day. Um, we go eat lunch for about two hours, we talk about it. Greg actually convinces me at lunch to do this. So I run home, I go back in, I run into the house and said, Julie, I have this great idea for business. And she's like, Well, what is your great idea? I said, I I'm going to MC weddings. And she gave me this dumbfounded look. Like, I've been telling you that for six months. You went to lunch for Greg. Okay, whatever. But I didn't know they were talking, and that was God's way of helping me find my path right now. So I didn't know all that was happening. And then later on in our marriage, she told me that she did that. So our marriage started with lies and deceits.
SPEAKER_00Actually, your marriage started with a proposal at our event. Yes, and hard rock.
SPEAKER_01Our marriage started at proposal at hard rock.
SPEAKER_00But now I'm understanding the real reason your company started had nothing to do with you. It was your wife's idea.
SPEAKER_01It was my wife's master plan from God saying that she seen a God-given gift in me that I should use and I can do. And at that time, I still didn't know it was a God-given gift. Um, because I'm like, if I can do it, like I always say, if I can do it, anybody else can do it.
SPEAKER_00Well, one thing for me personally, I agree it is a God-giving gift, and I've seen you take our events to heights that uh was very impressive, and that's that not many people could do that. And you started AGN events with Ronnie Dem at Pipe 9, and I remember, and and you've been that guy since that that is your god-given talent, and that has always been impressive to me because bruh, like you're saying, oh, if I can do it, anybody can do it. That's not true, bruh. Nobody can go on that mic in a crowd full of people they've never met and hype them up and vibe out a uh audience, like not everybody can do that, bro. That's a gift, and you have that gift, so I agree with your wife.
SPEAKER_01So after 10 years of being in this business and seeing it, I know that yeah, it's it's true. Not everybody can do it. I can honestly see it now. But when we were starting, because I was so scared, I was really scared. I was like, I don't want to do this because there's a lot on the line, like our names, like our reputation, who I am, but it's just something that I told my wife, me and my wife agreed upon it. We're gonna try it full force for one year. If it doesn't work, we're just gonna go back to work. At least we tried it. That one year turned into this is our 10 years in business now. Yeah, you so that one year of just going all in turned into something that me and my wife never imagined, because we always have talks about this, like just would you have ever I mean her always talk, would you ever imagine that we would be in this position where we are now? And Julie always says no. She said we would be in a certain position, but never in this type of position that where we are now. I never thought this was even fathomable for it.
SPEAKER_00Well, I didn't know for me personally, I could see it happening, but a lot of had had to have happen and change in in your life, like you had to lock in. And I always felt I always felt like you had the most amazing potential for anything you wanted to do, but you had to lock in, you had to separate yourselves from distractions and be the West that all of us knew you were, and once you did that, right, your Aloha just bloomed and you and you just you're him. And I I probably wouldn't have said I would see where you're at now because I probably wouldn't even come up with the idea of of what you guys are doing, but I would be down to say I could see you being successful, I could envision that as long as you locked in and bruh, uh you have so that that's testament to you locking in and your wife cracking a whip.
SPEAKER_01It is totally that because without my wife and the kids, I don't think I would be so focused how I am, and yeah, um just on this crazy retarded path that I want to go on, even though my wife is like, uh, it's just I keep pushing, I just want to keep pushing. I don't know why.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, that's your mentality, and that's that was makes you huge. What makes you you
Sponsor Break And Realness
SPEAKER_00okay? Stop. Let's take a break. I want to shout out our sponsor, Defen Hawaii. They've been my sponsor from the very beginning, and right now they got some brand new stuff dropped just for summer. I'm rocking it right now. Go check them out at their store in Wintermall called No One or go on their website, defendhawaii.com. Trust me, they got a whole bunch of new stuff out there, and bruh, they they kill it every time they do a new drop. Defendhawaii.com. If you use promo code ATBPod upon checkout, you'll get 15% off your first purchase. Defendhawaii.com, let them know above the bridge podcast sent you. Aloha. Right now, you guys are one of the biggest and most sought-after and pretty much well-known entertainment company in that industry, especially in weddings. What separates your guys' company from other people? I'm not saying you gotta be say you're better than them or worse than them, or whatever. It's I know how you are, and you're focused on you and not many others, but what separates your company from other companies?
SPEAKER_01I think the one thing that separates us from any other company um is just me and Juke. I think it's a husband and wife team. Like we are in it together. We are in the trenches, we are um we've built this thing on our back and plus my team. So I it's not only me and Julie, it's my team that has carried us and helped us expand and grow. It's our vision, but it's my team's execution that helps us to get where we are. Um, it's just we're just real. Like, like how we talked about the last one, because I have to go watch the last podcast and see what we talked about. But one thing that I said, um, and you also said that I'm not fake, I'm not a fake person. Like, I'm gonna keep it 100. Like, if I can tell you I can do it, if I can't do it, I can't do it. I'm gonna be who I am, I'm not gonna change ever. For anybody.
SPEAKER_00Well, I I agree with you, and because of that, I've seen you get into fights, I've seen you uh scream at people. I've seen a lot, and you always stay true to that, and that's
Growth Challenges Trends And Hiring
SPEAKER_00true. What was what are some of the biggest challenges you faced or are facing now, like while developing this company and getting it to where it's at?
SPEAKER_01Um so some of the things you're facing is just staying up to date with the new trends. Um broke. We've so the last time we talked, we came right out of COVID. We opened up for weddings. Um, we did that whole big thing. I thought it would have died off after two to three years, like it would have like normalized. It didn't, it catapulted us for some odd reason into a different realm that we weren't ready for. So we're we're learning to run alongside our growth, which is kind of fast and kind of nuts, just the blessings and the crazy doors that are opening. Um some of the problems, I think, like any other business, just finding good, dedicated people. Like some of the young generation now, like a lot of the young generation is built for instant gratification. They want it now, they want it, they don't want to put in the work. They're like, Oh, I I want to do this now, I want this instant, I want this. No, like you gotta go through the trenches before you can get to where we are, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I agree. And you guys have been battling and and putting in the work. Um, something came up recently that honestly, it kind of bothered
Why West Is Stepping Back
SPEAKER_00me. And I'm not gonna say I'm a fan of this decision, but I don't I I wanted to talk to you about it because I feel like this affects me personally. And you went on Instagram and listened to this fucking bullshit of you saying that you're putting down the mic and you're not gonna be MCing anymore. And for me, that hit a different way because I met you MCing, and I've known and seen you throughout the years, and you have that charisma, you have that voice, you have the energy, and you have the knowledge how to manipulate. Crowd. Why are you hanging this thing up, bro?
SPEAKER_01So I it's been over the last three to four years already. I've been telling Julie that I I want to stop MCing. Um, not because I don't like MCing, it's because our business is growing at the rate that it is. It's hard for me to go to an event, go set up, go MC, break down, and do that constantly day in and day out, plus also do whatever back end stuff I have to do, plus grow my business and constant concentrate on other stuff, fix other stuff, um, try and help my wife here and there, pick up my son and stuff like that. So I told her, told her I wanted to stop MCing so I can concentrate now on building the business because our teams can run. And how I mean my teams can run is me and Julia have taken trips with our family with our guys running events while we were gone. So in my heart, I already knew my guys are solid, they can do whatever that needs to be done and get it done. So I knew it was time for me when that started happening, that after yeah, 26 plus years, like I had my run. I had a great run. Let me tell you, I've done a lot of amazing events that I never thought I would set foot into. I met a lot of amazing people, some good, some bad, some turned into family, just like you. So it's it's I I I believe I hit my full circle around. I it's just like a fighter. You know how when fighters lay down their gloves, that doesn't mean they stop fighting. They some of them go on to coaching, some of them do other things. It never means that I'm going to stop MCing. I am going to fulfill whatever I have this year, finish it out. But who knows, two, three years later, down the road, something might the bug might bite me again and be like, okay, I want to come back. Or I'm I I I I wanna hang it up for now where I'm not MCing. I can just fully focus on my business. But who knows down the road? Because what we do is never taken out of our blood, it's ingrained in our DNA, so it's like something I know and I love, but at this time, it's not what I want, kind of thing. Do you understand that?
SPEAKER_00I definitely do, and I'm I was kind of in the same boat. I was after Eve was done, I was kind of done with promoting, and uh I I told Taylor uh for me to come back, it would take something special, and I didn't see it happening, and then laid back came around, and then I'm back in it. I'm not in the nightclub, but I'm still doing events, and I feel like it, like you said, it's in your DNA, it'll always be in your DNA, and I feel like you might get that bug again. And I like the fact that you like the energy of receiving what you're giving off, like you throw out a lot, and there have been times where I've seen MCs fall flat and they can't get that energy. I feel like you feed off that energy, and you you might still need that. And and I mean, I'm not just saying at a wedding event or something, but sometimes you in life you might need to feel that again. And if you do, then it's always available. Are you grooming anybody to take your spot or to do things how you do, or with the same kind of strength that you you brought to the mic?
SPEAKER_01So the funny thing is, the funny thing is you asked that question. My MCs, when I brought them on, I had them shadow me and I've I coached them on certain things to do. So if you look at all my MCs um on my roster, Yodish, um, Josh Assumption, uh Brino. What else do I have on my team? Sela uh Kole. I'm forgetting anybody. I I'm trying to blank Renault, I'm so sorry. Um trying to look at yeah, so those guys I've spent time with, they've shadowed me at events, I've shadowed them at events, told them what they could fix and work on. But if you listen to them, if you watch them, they're emulate to what I did. So, yes, I did train pretty much all our MCs to kind of simulate what I do, but I said also make it your own. Like, don't do everything verbatim to me, because then everybody's gonna be like, oh, you're just copying West. Like, take whatever I taught you and structure it to the way that works for you and how you sound, don't fake anything because I'm not fake. And they've been traveling, so I I I commend all my MCs on my team because they do what they have to do when need be.
SPEAKER_00I think so.
Training New MCs To Lead
SPEAKER_00Uh well I guess that that's that's kind of like passing the torch. I know club wise, um, in my opinion, we had the best between you, Kwan, real deal, read, God rest us. So yes, um yes. I think we are blessed to have have you guys as our host and kind of the voice of of Artist Groove Network for the night, and that'll always stay with me, and that'll be how I always see you. And um watching you grow this business been amazing.
SPEAKER_01I think just because you're not on the mic, wild wild west doesn't end there, just so you know, wild wild west is in here, you know, kind of it's always gonna be because I I it still catches me when I um go out and people are like, Oh, you used to MC at Oceans or you used to do nightclubs and oh you used to do partial. So though that it irritates my whole family because I'll stop and talk to people, and my family would just dig up. Like the funny thing is when me and Julie started first dating, like she would wait every single time I would talk to everybody. Now that we've been together a long time, married and whatever, she just digs out and I'll catch up to her. So it's kind of hilarious.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy. Well, I understand it, it happens to me a lot. I just happened the other night we're at dinner. I seen somebody, I'm talking to them, and I look around and my wife's gone. I'm like, what the what? You know, it's not gonna wait.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, that's right. Hey, happy um billionated birthday to your daughter. She was what 16 now?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, bro. 16.
unknownWoo!
SPEAKER_00Crazy, bruh. So it's too fast, and I'm sure you know, as a dad, bruh, like it's not a blink of an eye.
SPEAKER_01You you posted all those pictures, and I just remembered like being small, being a teenager, and now my kids are adults, so it's like, ah, where's the time?
SPEAKER_00Bruh, it's it's such a cliche thing that says that oh, it goes by so fast, and I've heard it my whole life until I had my daughter, and it was like, oh, it's just one thing after another. Like for her birthday, like you said, I I put together that collage of pictures, and I literally can remember each one of those pictures like clearly, whereas like, oh, that was so long ago, I don't even remember that. I was like, no, I'm I was I remember that, and it didn't, it wasn't that long ago. And brah, it's like 16 years goes by quick, and the changes you see your kids make throughout that time is like I I could never predict who my daughter would be, how she is now when she was little. I didn't know she's gonna be what she's gonna be into, I didn't know how she's gonna look, I didn't know how her mindset was gonna be. I only could assume I could groom her in a certain way, but I didn't know like who she is now, I would not have molded that prior, you know what I mean? And I would not change a single fucking thing, but I it's just you can't predict it or you can't assume it's gonna be this way. And like my daughter plays volleyball. I know two things about volleyball, and like if it was up to me, she would have been a fighter, and I could have helped her with that, you know what I mean? But she's she's doing something that she loves and that's passionate about that I didn't even see on wasn't even on the radar, and it's just you it's just unpredictable.
SPEAKER_01That's it's yeah, crazy being a parent because when you see your babies at this young age, you have all these hopes and dreams, and but as a parent, I think you just is like, I'm just gonna be the best parent. I'm gonna try and do my best, and then you see, just like all you said, your kids transform, and then it's just life takes over, and you're like, you just hope they become amazing adults. But I think you did a good job. I think me and Julie do an amazing job with our kids. Our kids are, I think so, that we show up for our kids, we were there no matter what, even if they don't want us to be there, we'll show up still because we still love them and we'll always love them. But I think just showing up is the biggest thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I agree, and you guys do. And I mean, okay, let's take a break. I want to shout out our sponsor, i rep detail supply. They are your one-stop shop superstore for all you need to detail whatever vehicle you have. They have three stores: Temple Valley Shopping Center in Kahalu, uh, one in Waipeo, which is their newest one. They also have one in Las Vegas. If you have any questions or concerns about their products or how to use them, I suggest go into the store. Their staff is highly trained and knowledgeable about everything they have. iRipdetailsupply.com, promo code ATVPod upon checkout, you'll get 15% off your first purchase. Aloha.
Work Marriage And Family Boundaries
SPEAKER_00Keeping work aside from family is is kind of a struggle sometimes. Yeah, how do you balance both, bro?
SPEAKER_01Um, so literally art. That's the funniest question because people always ask how um me and Julie can work together and be together 24-7 because we literally are 24-7 together. Um we that's my best friend, honestly. I'm not I'm I'm not gonna lie. Um, I've said it once, I'm gonna say it all my life. That's my best friend. Um, how we balance it is we will cut off talking about work at dinner, we will cut off talking at work when we have family time. Um, if we take family trips, our kids know if we have events. So one day we'll be probably okay, mom and dad gotta do events. We gotta figure out if everybody's there, everybody's doing right. But other than that, it's just about the trip, it's about just the family. Like we take our beach trips here, we do good beach stuff. Um, like today, my wife went hiking at five o'clock in the morning with my daughters. They asked me if I wanted to go out. I said no. I said no. I said in the morning.
SPEAKER_00Fuck that. They went to go watch the sunrise. Bruh, it's gonna rise tomorrow. You don't gotta watch it tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Five in the morning, you're right. We're gonna watch the sunset, bro.
SPEAKER_01Exactly, but it's just stuff like that. We just try and still stay connected to our kids no matter how busy we are.
SPEAKER_00That makes sense, and you are getting busier.
LED Walls And A New Business Leg
SPEAKER_00Um, I like I mentioned before, you guys brought that freaking wall led screen to our event, as well as the DJ boot, and you got you're expanding. Like, yeah, that wasn't on that wasn't in the uh cards couple couple years ago. I think even when we were at the wedding expo, you guys didn't have that yet, right?
SPEAKER_01Uh no. I think we no, yeah, we didn't. When you and your um at that time fiance, but now wife, your beautiful wife, uh, were walking around. No, we didn't.
SPEAKER_00Um, we had a you were pushing pushing the dance floor. You had a a little, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we had an LED dance floor, and then we got our first 10-foot screen, and then we transformed and got a 20-foot. So a 20 by 12 is the biggest screen we have right now. We are getting in a 40 by 22. I don't know exactly when we're gonna get that, but that's on my next hit list.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's amazing! And you're kind of creating a new brand, like a off-brand from your original just wedding stuff, like it's called above and uh from above uh displays, so or something like that, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so let me tell you how from above displays came about. So I started working for 604 during their hot Hawaii nights. Uh I was doing the LED screens. This is right before I met Donovan, who's the owner of 604, Super Cool Guy. He comes up to me. Um, actually, Colonel comes up to me because Colonel used to work at 604. Colonel comes up to me, and then he's like, Hey, you ever installed an LED screen? And I said, Ah, something kind of. I understand the LED system, I I understand that. So yeah, I can. So he's like, Oh, can you install it in one of our restaurants? So I'm thinking the restaurant's down here. He's like, No, we're opening up a 604 in Las Vegas. I was like, We're in Las Vegas, and he's like in the Palms Hotel, and I was like, Oh so he's like, Would you fly up and install it? I said, Yeah. So I did that, and that's the LED screen above the 604 in the Palms Hotel.
SPEAKER_00Wow, I didn't even know that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so uh at that time my partner had gone up for the grand opening. Um he saw that he's like, I want that in my house. Can I get the number of the guy who installed it for you? So Donovan gave him my number. Um then we talked story with the guy who wanted it installed. He put a 16 foot by 12 foot LED screen in his house for his home theater. I'll text you the video and the pictures after, it's massive. So after he I did that, he asked me, Would you want to do this as a business? And I was like, What are you talking about? Um, he's like, Would you want to do commercial and residential installs? And this wasn't even on my plate. Like, this is me just doing LED screens, not the installs part. So it took about a month for me and him to go back with my other partners. Um, I have two other partners in this venture. So we went back and forth. Um, I said, You have contractors and electricians, right? Because I'm not the guy. I can't do electrician. I can blow up your house. And I I'm not a contractor by trade, so I won't know anything like to specs or OSHA standard. I know it holds, it's good, it's durable, and it will last. So he has we have contractors, we have electricians that work for our company, so we are starting a different leg of what I normally do. So from above entertainment is one entity, from above LED this elevated displays is commercial and residential, um home it yeah, home entertainment display units installed, so uh custom sounds, custom LED screens, custom anything. That's what we can do.
SPEAKER_00I had no idea that's what it was. I thought it was okay. So if I want an LED screen at my house, I'll call you up. And what you you can install it, I would have to order it, or you guys do from start to finish.
SPEAKER_01We start to finish. We sit down, we talk to you about pricing, we talk to you about how big, um, how small, where you want it, um, how much you want to spend, how little bit you want to spend. Um, then I'll come up for a site visit, figure out some stuff, um, bring out my electrician contractor, see where the plugs are, see what we can tap into, and then from there, my contractor comes in, he starts the framing. I come in, start installing the LD screen, do all the logistical work for the screen, make sure the screen runs everything, connect anything you want, your game consoles, your Apple TV, anything you want your screen to become, I can connect that for you. And then from there, it's just we shake hands, you enjoy your screen, and we have customer service support. Also, I pretty much can answer 95% of the questions that anybody would come up with if something goes wrong.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. What's the biggest one you installed so far?
SPEAKER_01The 16 by 12 at my partner's house.
SPEAKER_00So hypothetically, how much would that something like that be?
SPEAKER_01So he got a 1.6, so that was about over 100k.
SPEAKER_00Holy fuck, okay. I'm not yeah, man, and I'm asking because um I know you're you're you just said you're ordering a 40-foot screen. Yeah, okay. That being said, when is that coming in? That that we have other stuff we want to order.
SPEAKER_01That's like my big wish list. Uh, my wife knows I really want it. Um, and she the one thing great about my Julie, like, she's game, like she can see it now. At first, she's like, no, no, but she understandably she was watching out for the company. She didn't know which direction we were going. She didn't want to spend all this money and it didn't work. But she now sees like how driven and what direction we are going as a company. She's a little bit more open to spending money. She never she was always, but she was always good about I'm the one that spends all the money. Like, without my wife, my company would be broke. But you have some cool toys. Yeah. But you know my without my wife, I would be broke. I wouldn't have cool toys because my wife. I always joke, like, my wife allows me to. No, my wife sees how hard I work and she knows what I want, and she and we talk about our big purchases. Like, I just don't bite in spite. Like, we're we're we'll have conversations, we'll have meetings about it, um, and we'll fit it in. You'll probably be the first one that knows when it lands, because I don't know exactly it's in talks right now, but that's gonna happen. It's gonna happen.
SPEAKER_00That's cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I want it to happen.
SPEAKER_00And the the one that you had at laid back was how big? 20. No, that was 12 feet by six feet.
SPEAKER_01That was and you can go 20? I can go 20 by 12.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that being said, I have a situation.
Niners Talk And Big Screen Dreams
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00So the 49ers are gonna be in the Super Bowl this year.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, yes, and that's what I told we had this talk and laid back. I'm like, if when the 49ers, when we get it this year, we are gonna put up with the big screen.
SPEAKER_00We just gotta figure out where.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00That's the next problem. So I should start looking into this because yeah, we're we're gonna do it because Niners will be there. This is this is my vision. Yeah, I wanna see the Niners hoist that trophy on your screen. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. If if you really love Length here, I'll turn this around real fast. If you look, I have the Joe Montana Hennessy bottle right there. My champagne bottle. And if you look down, I have my I I I I'm I'm 49ers. I'm 49ers all the way. We're gonna get it. Last year, hey, last year we we we Stumbled into the playoffs with uptip at dip price, but we still did it somehow.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. And I feel like we were playing on uh house money, and if if we could get that far with players that were on the couch during the start of the season, then like we were playing with our fort string. So we are we are if our team can stay healthy, like I don't know why everybody's sleeping on us, they're all into the oh, the rate, the Rams got this guy, the wrists, the Seahawks got this guy. I'm just like, bruh, we just need to be healthy. I think we got the guys.
SPEAKER_01I think if we can get out of the fort week with no injuries, all game on. But if you notice every season, the last three seasons, what has plagued us from the very start?
SPEAKER_00Injuries, yeah, and it's like this past season was like, okay, we'll give you a win, but you gotta trade one of your players for it. And it's like all the hammers went down, everyone, except all of them was out a game at least, you know what I mean? Yeah, and then the last game, kiddo brings his name.
SPEAKER_01He's like, no, not George Kittle.
SPEAKER_00I don't know, bruh. Hopefully, this is the year, and I think with Mike Evans being on the on the team as a deep threat, I think I don't know. But I say that every year, I always put a rack down every year. Niners gonna win the Super Bowl. I haven't never cashed out on it yet, so we'll see. Because I don't know, by the time I cash out that I'm the I'm gonna probably break even after all these years or make more money, you never know. Yeah, yeah, that's true. But um, okay, let's take a short break from talking to Wes to shout out my sponsor, Medicinal Mushrooms Hawaii. They're a locally based mushroom company, and right now they have five different uh medicinal mushrooms extracted, put in these tintures. They have lion's mane, chaga, turkey tail, red reichi, and the newest one quarticeps. I take all five every day. I'll take um most of these in the morning with my coffee. I'll take the red reachie at night to help me sleep good. But if you don't know the properties of these mushrooms, go to their website, medmushroomhigh.com, and they'll explain to you in detail exactly the benefits what these each and every one of these mushrooms do for you. Um, if you decide you want to buy some, use promo code ATB Pod Upon. Check out all capital letters, you'll get 45% off your first tinture of extracted mushrooms. Medicinal Mushrooms Hawaii, the website is medmushroomhigh.com. Aloha.
Motivation Goals And Rewarding The Team
SPEAKER_00Business-wise, like what motivates you today compared to when you first started doing your business?
SPEAKER_01So this is one thing I've always looked at and I always tell Julian, like motivation for me, honestly, is when people doubt me and still doubt me. That like when people say, Oh, he's not gonna do it, or people talk about me, or my wife saying, Oh, it you guys can't do it. That gives me even more motivation to turn around and say, Yeah, I can, and watch me do it 10 times harder than you thought I could do it.
SPEAKER_00I agree, that's how your mentality always was. I I seen you enter the cage with that mentality. I seen you wrestle tailor in my yard with that mentality. It's kind of forgot about that.
SPEAKER_01It's just, I guess that's what drives me. Not not the haters, not just people are just doubting me because then it's like even though I've accomplished so much in my career and so much in my life, like when I hear something like that, or when I when people are like, oh yeah, what's cannot do that? It's like, yo, you don't even know, okay. Now, now you're giving me a new wave of just energy to to try and combat with.
SPEAKER_00It's like game on.
SPEAKER_01It is, it is, it's just something so hard. Like, I want. I don't know why I want it so badly, but it's just something I really, really want. It's I guess it's just I know I've proven a lot to a lot of people, and I don't have to prove myself, I know that for a fact, but it's just something that's driven in me that I I have to be this person.
SPEAKER_00I agree. I think I feel like most times you don't have to prove other people wrong, you just gotta prove yourself right, yeah. And that's always been your mentality, and that's one of the characteristics I enjoy about you, and it's like, yeah, watch tell Wes he kind of do them. He's gonna do them.
SPEAKER_01Like, like coming into our tenure this year, um, one of my biggest goals that I wanted to hit personally, just I wanted to hit it for some odd reason is I wanted to hit 365 events in one year. One year time. To date, I think we're at somewhere in the mid 200s. So it's gonna happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, half a year left.
SPEAKER_01Half a year left, and I told my guys this right after we had um our anniversary party, like I watch 365. And my guys give me the most dumbfounded look. They're like, okay, whatever, let's go for it. But I just want to hit it one year, and it's just uh it's like a notch. It's like okay, I hit it. What's my next goal? What's my next goal?
SPEAKER_00That's the main thing in life you setting goals. I if you do hit it, you better take care of your people and throw in rager or something.
SPEAKER_01I told I told my team, it's so funny. Out of this, I told my team next year if we hit two million dollars in sales, I told this blatantly to them. I said, if we hit two million dollars in sales, I will take you guys to Japan. I will take your sponsors to Japan. I will take and pay for your your hotel, your flights, but spend your own money because I'm paying for everything else.
SPEAKER_00Bruh, well, that's an incentive. Um 360-something events in one year, bruh. That seems like that's a lot on your plate, and that's like you're constantly working. Well, what do you do to help you recharge outside of work?
SPEAKER_01I think that's what recharges me. Like keeping myself like ahead of everybody, or Julie is really good at this. Um, she'll block off time and she'll be like, Okay, you need to rest or relax, or we're gonna go do stuff with the family. So Julie always reminds me because if Julie didn't remind me to take a break, I'll be at this 24-7.
SPEAKER_00I'll gas no breaks.
SPEAKER_01Oh, gas, no breaks, bruh.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think she's a good balance for you. She is, she is. I think you actually listening to her and understanding what she says is right and actually taking time for yourself. That's the true test. You know what I mean? It's to actually do it and say, you know what, you're right. I'll take a break or I'll relax, or I'll do family time. When you're relaxing, what do you do, bro?
SPEAKER_01Just we veg out. We honestly sometimes we don't leave the house at all. We just watch TV all day, eat, and just just unplug. We don't even talk, we don't even we're not even on our phones, we just veg out the whole time day.
SPEAKER_00I was just talking to this to my last guest because she's a coach and does a lot of stuff, and I seen that, yeah, and and I think she said it best is like sometimes I just like stay home and do nothing, and I was like, Oh, that is exactly how I feel sometimes. And my wife, like, she likes to go hiking, she literally just came back from hiking, she like go beach. I was like, sometimes I just like stay home, watch Netflix, drink a beer, and that's that's great. Or for me, my thing is uh UFC. Whenever we get UFC, I like hanging with my people and or just watching it, and it's like if it's a good one, if it's like one of them fight passes or cards or yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Not the greatest, but like when Max is fighting this coming weekend, like bruh, I'm throwing a rage. You better come if you can't.
SPEAKER_01I know every events I told you I'll try. I know, but yeah, but that's the cool thing about our wives, they keep us young because our wives are like always like let's do this, let's do this, and sometimes you're like, ah, you close the door on them, you're like, oh shit, and then you open the door, you're like, okay, let's go.
unknownLet's go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. It's like sometimes I just like do nothing. How about that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, sometimes, yeah. Even my wife, even Julie, too. Somedays she just doesn't want to do nothing where she just lies in bed, and you know what? She does a lot, she does so much for my company without my without her, besides watching our money and stuff like that. Like, she takes care of all of our clients' emails. Like, she's the heart and soul behind my company. Without her, you would get really bad emails. Like, I can't email no deadass. I'm not even gonna try. That's why she's never asked me to help with emails. She asked I got this. She she she asked me the first year of her business, and she hasn't asked me for almost nine and a half years later. That's what emails it is funny because she has a way of doing things, but she's just really good at what she does.
SPEAKER_00That's super
Success Legacy And Final Words
SPEAKER_00cool. Um, you're pretty successful, and I feel like your success is growing. What has this success meant to you and your family through the last couple years? Success.
SPEAKER_01Oh it's just it just means a lot from I didn't have a bad childhood. I didn't. My mom was a single mom. My dad passed away when I was a young child. My mom worked two jobs at one time for me um to provide what I needed. Um, of course, I was a hard-headed kid. I didn't see it until I after she grew up and had a family of my own. But how much my mom like put out for me. So crap. Ah, I didn't know I was gonna do that. Yeah. Just to see how much my mom like gave and never gave up on me. Um also my grandparents, they never gave up on me. They tried to give me They tried to give me the best I could. Um But I think the reason why I am the way I am today is to show how much how much their actions instilled in me. I'm sorry, Tad, shit, my bad. All good like they did so much for me. I think that's why I'm not stopping in how much I push to show how much they instilled in me to be a hard worker. Yeah, then I met my wife, we have our kids, and that's like another driving force for me. That's what success looks for me.
SPEAKER_00Um, I feel you, bro.
SPEAKER_01And just to provide for people, like that feels like a level up for me. That feels like boss status, a flex status that I get to provide for these guys. I get to give them a second source of income. Like, that's a boss move for me. Like, yeah, you can have all these fancy stuff, yeah. You can do have all this, but have you made anybody's life better? That's what life is all about in my eyes. That's what I feel now.
SPEAKER_00So, success in your eyes, I kind of get it. For one thing, I understand about your mom and stuff because I'm the same, I haven't I haven't appreciated the stuff she sacrificed and done for me until I was older. And honestly, that keeps me grounded why my daughter doesn't yet. But um once I was older and I seen her doing the same thing for for Arya Um when she was here uh made me realize they hold that that she did that for me, and that's when everything clicks, that's when everything connects. And I and I feel like that what you describe is the is the same. I think your family sees you for what you are, like you said, honest, truthful, hardworking, that's success for them. You the person you are is probably their vision of what success is to them, as you are with your kids. For me, my my vision for success is watching my daughter be something that I never was, something way better. And so I think by your actions and and the person you are, you're helping your family achieve their success as well. And that's that's strong, bro. Because you always had that, you always had that good heart, you did a bunch of crazy things, but the heart was always the same, the intent was always the same. Yeah, and what you just told me about what you envisioned success is is pretty much aloha. Everything you just said was about filling other people's cups, not trying to fill your own cup, and that's what aloha is, and you're wearing it on your head, and that's everything I always thought about West. One one walking person of aloha, and this is why we're friends, this is why I connect with you, this is why in a crowded room I can have a conversation with you, yeah, no matter what's going on. And yeah, I've seen you at your worst, and I'm so happy to be seeing you at your best now and being successful, and you're still the same freaking clown fun person, and you can say the dumbest shit sometimes, you can be the just the the guy, you just gonna be the life of the uh the party. And I think when we're old, you still gonna be the same, and ever change. And I I think that is probably why your wife is stuck by you, though your wife believed in you, and she saw the inside, and finally the inside is shining all the way out, and bruh, you should be proud, you should honestly take some time to not keep looking forward, but look back and realize how much you have accomplished and appreciate that because you came a long freaking way, and sometimes you gotta give yourself flowers and pat on the back and then go back to the grind. And but it's okay to understand and be proud, bruh. Because I'm fucking proud of you. I know Hansen is proud of you. I know everybody that messed with you from the beginning is so proud to see where you are now because I mean, honestly, it could have gone either way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it could have it could have ended up bad too. I um I asked DG Technique a question. We had a gig together. I was like, bro, did you ever think that it would get that this far? He's like, No, bro. Honestly, I thought it was gonna go bad. And that was a truthful answer from him because the way that he's pretty real, yeah. Yeah, and the way I drinking party, I thought that was life, but like life changes, like, and it's the craziest thing, and like how I never changed, you have never changed too. You steal that dick that will tell people straight up in a dickhead fashion, but you love. It's a it's a loving dickhead fashion, if that makes any sense. But you will be straight to the core and be like, yeah, no, Wes, you just gonna mess up. No, Wes. You do, yeah, no, don't don't do that. Don't please don't do that. Yeah, no, don't do that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, listen.
SPEAKER_01But you've never changed, like you've never been, you've never changed the wheel, and it's that's the one thing we still connect. That's why I love you for who you are. You've never changed for anything, no matter who you are, where you are, what you've accomplished, you're still thad to me.
SPEAKER_00Same here, my bro. You're like I said, you're always gonna be wild, wild west. And yeah, I don't care how tame you are, you're still gonna be wild in my okay. We're almost done with this episode. I want I had written down some rapid fire questions that I wanted to ask you, so just give me the answer as I run them off. Okay, beach wedding or ballroom? Ballroom. Sunrise or sunset ceremony?
SPEAKER_01Sunrise.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I didn't expect that. Uh favorite local venue. Oh crap.
SPEAKER_01Uh favorite local I like. Oh, they're I have two and they're back to back. Hyatt and Alohailani. I love both of them because I just love the staff of their i I love everywhere we work, but if deadass had to work anywhere, or I'm Charmin Estates. I have three. Sorry, bro. I can't just pick one.
SPEAKER_00Raja. Yeah um favorite food to eat at a wedding?
SPEAKER_01At a wedding, if they have it in their budget, prime rib.
SPEAKER_00Haha, yup, I agree with that. What wedding trend do you hope disappears?
SPEAKER_01What wedding trend do I hope that disappears? What wedding trend do I hope that disappears? Uh there's not too much wedding trends that I don't like.
SPEAKER_00I don't even know what trends are there, but um I don't know. My trend I hope wish disappeared before I got married was the costs. That shit is way over cost, yeah. Way overpriced, bro. But you got married in by mail, right? Yeah, that's fucking expensive.
SPEAKER_01Was your wife happy?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and that's why we did it. Because if it's up to me, we would have gone fucking couple A courthouse, would have cost me the cost of gas for get there in the dinner after.
SPEAKER_01But see, the main thing is your wife was happy, yep.
SPEAKER_00This costs costs a lot. Happiness costs, bruh.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, she's about to buy a car, and she's like, Don't you know how hard it is to like how it feels to save up, and then you're just gonna give it all one time? I'm like, Yup, our wedding. You should pull up a wedding picture.
SPEAKER_01Yep, I know exactly how that feels. You see that, you see that smile? I know exactly how that feels.
SPEAKER_00All right, coffee drink, uh, coffee or energy drink before an event. Okay, same here. I don't I don't fuck with energy drinks, okay. One word that would describe your leadership style.
SPEAKER_01Relentless.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I like that. That's a good bruh. That that says it all. Relentless. That is a great word to yeah, I agree with that one. Okay, the last thing I have to ask you is what would you want your legacy from above entertainment to be?
SPEAKER_01Our legacy from from above entertainment is just that people could trust us. We're family oriented, that we can pass this on to my son, hopefully, if he picks it up. Um, of course, as parents, we would want them to follow in our path. But I want him to find his own way. But the legacy just that as long as From Above Entertainment is around that everybody knows that they're gonna get good quality service no matter who what type of event or where we are, that our legacy just stays grounded to who we are.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think you're already achieving that, Brian. I think when when you're the man, you don't have to tell people you're the man. And I've heard by many people that you're the guy and your company's doing good. And I never had to ask you that. I hear it from other people, and that's how I know it's real, that's how I know you're successful, and that's how I know Wes is doing West shit. And I'm proud of you, man. Like for real, from my heart, I'm proud of you. I'm was beyond words of just how you leveled our laid-back event. And I am so excited to see where you take this company in the future. And by far, like you are uh a shining star, and you are a great example and inspiration. Uh how you you can work hard for something and achieve goals. And if you dig your feet in the mud and keep moving forward, it'll it'll work. And like you said, that's how you always be, and that's how you're raised. And bruh, you're you're you're him, bruh. And I think you should take some time, appreciate everything you accomplished, and keep grinding. And like I said, I cannot wait to see how you take this company in the future. I want to have you back on. I want to talk about it because I feel like you you're you're the tip of the iceberg right now. It's gonna you you onto something. I feel like you and as as well as Hansen's company too. Like you guys are changing the whole fucking game, bruh. And that and that's real.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, thank you, and big shouts out to you. And I hope for years to come we can do above the bridge walk podcast.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and hopefully when they like I told you yesterday, bruh, at worst, like the I especially when I have my my close friends on, I get what we just had a one-on-one conversation uninterrupted, and bruh, it it's that that's gonna mean a lot, especially in the future. Like I can look back at this and fucking listen to us having a real conversation, and I think life gets crazy where sometimes we cannot have that, and yeah, bruh, it's like this show has been giving me opportunities to just converse with my friends, and fuck is that's super cool to me, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01And you did you're doing it. A lot of people talk about doing podcasts, but you've been consistent, yeah. Consistent, which is amazing.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate it, man. Well, we've been gonna we've been going for over an hour, and I gotta take my daughter dentist, and I'm sure you gotta get back to not answering emails and watching your wife do it, but I I appreciate you taking time, and like I said, these ones mean a lot to me. And um keep doing your thing, bruh, and keep inspiring because people are watching and people are taking notice and you shaking up the industry, bruh, and you doing it with aloha as I expected.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, Brian.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for always having me on, dad. You know, we love you. Love you too, my bro. Right on will shock us for the cameras. Right on, we're out. Shout out to the Artist Groove Network. Aloha.
