Aloha Alive: The Dawn O'Brien Podcast
Why Aloha? the whole world knows what aloha is--love in Hawai'i--but better to ask WHY ALOHA? the answer is as essential as breath & as fun as whistling, so LET'S GO!
Episodes
48 episodes
This Wasn't Just a Daddy-Daughter Dance
A tux, a princess dress, a red carpet, and a ballroom full of dads trying not to cry. That’s the surface story of the Daddy-Daughter Prom, but the real story is what happens when a father chooses to show up on purpose and speaks identity into h...
From Darkness to Faith: A Molokaʻi Transformation
Hawaii’s spiritual history is bigger than the version most of us inherited, and it gets personal fast. We sit down with Kahu David Blevins of Imiola Church in Waimea to talk about the historic Hawaiian awakening of the 1830s, the legacy of Lore...
God Interrupted Her Retirement... Now She's Running for Office
A sidewalk so narrow a wheelchair can’t pass. Speeding that tops the complaint list across District 43. And a community that keeps hearing “we’ll look into it” with no timeline in sight. That’s the real-world backdrop for our conversation with ...
Open Your Refrigerator... Daniel Anthony Lt. Governor Candidate Explains Why
If Hawaii had to live off what’s already on the islands for two weeks, would your neighborhood be ready, or would it panic? I’m talking with Daniel Anthony, a subsistence farmer, father of seven, and longtime community advocate who’s now runnin...
God Called Her Home... Now She's Fighting for Hawaiʻi Tara Malia Gregory
Hawaii does not feel “political” until the potholes wreck your car, the floods hit your street, or a disaster response arrives days late. We sit down with Tara Malia Gregory, a Honolulu City Council candidate, to talk about why this local seat ...
Tormenting Spirits, Family Battles & the Power of Worship
A single sentence can haunt you for years if you don’t finish it with truth. We sit down with the DeLima family again and go straight into a topic that hits home for parents, leaders, and anyone battling anxiety or intrusive thoughts: the torme...
Hot Sauce: The Humility Behind the Handles
A streetball legend walks into Kalihi and doesn’t ask for a red carpet. We sit down with Philip “Hot Sauce” Champion, the face so many fans still associate with the AND1 era, and we get past the mixtape mythology to hear the true arc: daily wor...
Overcoming Addiction, Prison & Houselessness—My Sister’s Keeper
She came out of prison with no title, no money & no plan yet still built one of the most practical, faith-forward outreach efforts in Honolulu. Triciaa Maʻae-Liupaono of My Sister’s Keeper is now under the nonprofit under the umbrella...
Breaking the Silence on Childhood S*xual Abuse
The most dangerous place for a child can be the place everyone assumes is safest: home, family, and trusted circles. We sit down as two sister friends to talk plainly about childhood sexual abuse, incest & the generational silence that lets...
Hawaii's Secret to Natural Disasters & More...
Charmaine Hauanio-Kuewa is a Miss Aloha Hawaii & Salvation Army Hawaii leader, talking on local disaster relief, ohana trials, & what real help looks like Hawaiian-style. • Why Salvation Army responds to both disasters and “daily di...
Why Hawai’i is Important for World’s Last Days
What's Hawai'i got to do with it? Where does Aloha fit into the Last Days? It's getting real with Pastor Jonathan Steeper--a pastor who refused to shutdown the church during global lockdown, who stood for religious freedom in a national wa...
How God Turned Ordinary Faith Into Extraordinary Impact
A pastor walking into prison at 14 should not be normal, and yet Pastor Jay Puahi’s story makes one thing clear: God uses the willing, not the polished. We sit down with Pastor Jay and his wife, Sister Shar Puahi of Straight Up Ministry, to tal...
Aloha Crushes Anger: Mr. Angry vs. Mr. Aloha - Hana HOU!
He’s a beloved Hawaii musician with a reputation for warmth, humor, and that unmistakable “aloha” energy. But what happens when the person everyone loves in public becomes someone his family fears at home? We sit down with Kelly Boy and Leolani...
Pure Aloha vs Street Life | The Transformation Is Real
Lightning strikes a plane outside your window and suddenly every “later” turns into “right now.” That’s where we start with Keikoa Carvalho of Pure Aloha and Rasco Idayan of Building Bonds Through Burpees, two men who know fear, addiction, and ...
E:33 The Night God Broke Me — Pastor Andrew Yasuhara
Your phone says you’re connected, but your relationships might say otherwise. We sit down with Pastor Andrew Yasuhara and get into the kind of faith conversation that actually touches real life: how to reach youth who live online, how to rebuil...
E32: I Was Done With My Marriage… Then THIS Happened
Rock bottom doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet dinner table, an empty house, & realizing the thing holding the marriage together is gone. I sit down with Leolani De Lima, wife of Kapena’s Kelly Boy De Lima, and we talk about w...
Season One Recap Show
HAPPY 1ST BDAY! It's our "BABY LU'AU" Party featuring da BEST OF BEST highlights for U! Enjoy our 1st baby steps from Dawn's only solo episode & first set (with awkward background & lighting...
E31: What's S*x Got To Do With It?
"Your child isn't looking for porn, porn is looking for your child." Michele Okimura, Explicit Movement, talks plainly about s*x, p*rn, & more shocking stuff related to s*x. Why does sex matter to God? What is sacred (vs. secular) sex? And ...
Why USA is in the Cross-hairs of Persecution Coming! Pastor Chris Nayyir, Pakistan Church
Persecution isn’t a dramatic headline to us, it’s a promise Jesus already warned us about. Pastor Chris Nair, a pastor and church planter originally from Pakistan, joins us for a clear-eyed talk on what it means to follow Christ when opposition...
E: 29 Sex, Drugs & Rolling Dice/Gambling for KEIKI in Hawai’i—Your State Legislature
Have U ever skipped voting as it felt pointless? Then this one's for U! Eva Andrade, Pres. HI Family Forum, & I get straight to the racy truth about political races: From razor-thin local races to why small margins can steer an entire...
E28 Does My Vote Even Count?! Rep. Matsumoto
Does the average Kimo or Kalei make any difference? In surprising answer, Rep. Lauren Matsumoto says yes, POWERFULLY! She also digs into meaty topics like answering to Hawai'i voters about cost of living, public safety, and the need for truth &...
E:27 Healing Hearts Finally, Overcoming Trauma Truly
Stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” & start asking, “What happened & how do I heal forward?” Healing Hearts Creator Rob Gross talks about how trauma leads to so many “bad choices” a.k.a. survival strategies gone wrong.You’ll he...
E26 Handsome Hawaiian Hammah: Young Musician DILLON PAKELE
Some lights don’t go out—they move. When Dillon lost dad, Kaulana Pakele of Mana‘o Company, & later hanai uncle, the legendary Fiji, the room dimmed. What came next is a story of regeneration with respect: a bedroom-turned-studio in a Hawai...
E25: Why Flipping HI Govt? Gary Cordery on Corruption & More...
O, CORRUPTION, what corruption? Hawaii has won "Most Corrupt State in U.S." for years running. We're paying sky-high prices for gas & groceries, housing & everything else. Is there any HOPE?! Local businessman & advocate for t...
E24: From Gangstah to GOD! Peacemaker Matt Taufete'e
A single punch on a Kalihi street lead to two life sentences, headline news & a family shattered by gang retaliation. BUT GOD! A long broken road across generations lead to hard-won forgiveness. Not just for one man, but two families. And t...